England's Jones and Bern Identify Areas for Improvement After Convincing Win

Despite kicking off their Women's Six Nations campaign with a resounding 33-12 victory over Ireland, England's Megan Jones and Sarah Bern acknowledged that there is still room for improvement. The world champions, who last played in the World Cup final against Canada in September, secured their 34th consecutive Test win thanks to two tries from Bern and one each from Amy Cockayne, Jess Breach, and Ellie Kildunne. In front of a record-breaking Women's Six Nations crowd of 77,120 at Allianz Stadium, England claimed a bonus-point win, but Jones admitted that the team was not at its best. 'There were always going to be nerves at the start of a big campaign, especially after an incredible World Cup,' Jones told the BBC. 'We wanted to perform in front of large crowds, and that's exactly what we did today. We found a way to win, which is what winning teams do. I'm sure we'll refine our performance, but I'm extremely proud of the girls.' Jones led the team for the first time, taking over from World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford, who is currently pregnant with her first child. 'I'll probably take some time to reflect tonight, but walking out of the tunnel and singing the anthem was an amazing experience,' Jones added. With only seven players from England's World Cup final win at Twickenham last autumn in the current lineup, Bern recognized that a new-look side would take time to gel. 'We have a new combination of players and a lot of young talent, so we knew it wouldn't be perfect, and we weren't expecting it to be,' Bern said. 'There were some aspects that we were thrilled about, and others that we'll definitely review. However, the atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic, and that always helps us get the job done.'