• England 16-20 Ireland

Johnson disappointed by tough loss

Keith Earls secured Ireland's second try © Getty Images

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England 16 - 20 Ireland

England manager Martin Johnson has called on his players to focus their energies on beating Scotland after slipping to a "tough, tough loss" against Ireland at Twickenham.

Two tries from Tommy Bowe and another from Keith Earls ended England's Grand Slam hopes and Johnson hopes that the players will use the result as added motivation ahead of their Six Nations trip to Murrayfield on March 13.

"It is a tough, tough loss," he said. "I thought the guys played very well. They got themselves back into the game and got themselves ahead. It was a tough game, either team could have won it.

"We did a lot of good things. I thought it was a good performance. It was wet, muddy and we were playing Ireland so it is going to be difficult. Have we lots to get better at? Yes, we have. It is frustrating for us all because there were chances.

"But we only took one in the second half and they scored two. That was probably the difference. It is a very tough loss to take and we will work that through.

"We will be better for the game. I said to the players they have to keep that horrible feeling inside of them for two weeks and release it at Murrayfield. We come back to play Scotland, who will be playing that game to save their Championship."

Earls' try came in the second-half after a penalty against Ireland was reversed following some retaliation from England scrum-half Danny Care, with Johnson unsure that any punishment was necessary.

"Games turn on things like that," he said. "In a game like that, is that a penalty reversal? They jumped in just as quickly. I don't think it was a penalty, personally but it was given. Even then we came back but it was disappointing to concede a penalty with the last play of the game when we had driven them back 25 yards."

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