Maro Itoje acknowledged that England were not good enough at the basics against Scotland but insists their response to the defeat is the only thing that matters.
The reigning Guinness Six Nations champions were beaten 11-6 by Gregor Townsend’s men at Twickenham as the visitors ended their 38-year wait for a win at England HQ.
Duhan van der Merwe’s try proved the difference as the Red Rose could only muster a couple of Owen Farrell penalties, with Scotland dominating possession for most of the contest.
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But despite the early setback to their title defence, 26-year-old lock Itoje refused to make any excuses as he called on England to show their character by moving forward.
“We were just off the mark, it was one of those days where we weren’t good enough at the basics at what we need to be good at,” said Itoje, speaking in the post-match press conference.
“Scotland brought what they brought but we weren’t good enough. I think our preparation is our preparation, we all felt pretty good going into the game but it is what it is.
“The situation is the situation. There isn’t really too much we can do about it at this stage, we just have to concentrate and move forward. We weren’t good enough.
“It’s one of those situations where, as players, we need to roll up our sleeves and get back to work. The team, the core of the team, has been together for a few years now.
“It’s very tight, we are going to stay together, we are going to stay strong and be there for one another. Obviously, it didn’t go our way but we’re in control of what happens tomorrow. We’ll control our destiny and move forward.”
England lost their opening contest of the 2020 Championship against France in Paris before winning their remaining four games to clinch their third title under Eddie Jones.
The Red Rose will hope to call on that experience again this year as they look to bounce back immediately when they welcome Franco Smith’s young Italy side in Round 2.
But Itoje took nothing away from Scotland as he turned his focus to England’s next challenge.
“Congratulations to Scotland, they hustled hard, they fought hard, they were deserved winners,” added Itoje, who was nominated for Player of the Championship last year.
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“What has happened, has happened. What happens next is the most important thing. We got the power in our hands to behave how we want to behave and move how we want to move.
“We can take steps forward. It was a tough day, a day that none of this team wanted for sure but it is what it is, and we’ll learn from it and move forward.”
