Wales are on course to mark Warren Gatland’s final year in charge with a grand slam after their first victory over England in the Six Nations since 2013 but Eddie Jones has not abandoned hope of a third title in four years.
Wales moved above England by winning the clash between the two unbeaten sides after the opening two rounds, but they have the tougher run-in, with a trip to Scotland followed by Ireland in Cardiff, while England welcome Italy and Scotland.
“Wales played smartly and deserved to win,” the England coach said. “It was nip and tuck and came down to fine margins. The world has not ended. We will learn from today and improve in the areas we need to. When you are under pressure, players do things that they do not do normally.
“All we can worry about now is beating Italy. We have a couple of days off before assembling in Oxford and Georgia are coming to do some set-piece work. Wales are a bloody tough side and they have a good chance of winning the Six Nations. They are the ones smiling now but wait and see. They have some tough games coming up.”
Jones said he was waiting for fitness reports on Courtney Lawes, who will have a scan after being injured in a tackle in the second half, and Jonny May, who failed a head injury assessment.
Before the game Gatland described the England prop Kyle Sinckler as a emotional timebomb. After it he said the forward had demons to contend with after his discipline went at the start of the second half, when he conceded two penalties and became involved in a touchline dispute that had nothing to do with him.
“I took him off because he was becoming tired,” Jones said. “I know you [the media] want to single him out because of what was said. I thought we started the second half well but then lost momentum. Part of that was Dan Biggar, a very good player, coming off Wales’s bench.”
Gatland, who keeps being linked with the England job even though Jones’s contract runs until 2021, has two matches in which to finish his Six Nations time with Wales as he started it in 2008, with a grand slam. “That would be nice but one game at a time,” he said. “We knew how important today was and the longer the tournament goes, the stronger we tend to become. We can enjoy tonight and then start thinking about Scotland, who will be disappointed after losing in France.
“Everyone wrote us off before the match and that allowed us to come in under the radar. We were the architects of our own misfortune in the first half when we conceded possession, but we tidied things up in the second. We trained really hard for this game and we said in the hotel that we would win. It was an incredible performance against a side who were outstanding in the first two rounds and I am really chuffed.”