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Joe Schmidt warned that England still have more to offer after Ireland brought an end to their 18-match winning streak, denying Eddie Jones’ men an outright world record.
Ireland coach Schmidt – whose side also beat New Zealand when the All Blacks were gunning for a 19th victory on the bounce – masterminded a 13-9 triumph over the Six Nations winners, thwarting England’s bid for a second consecutive Grand Slam.
While the New Zealander naturally had praise for his side – particularly centre Garry Ringrose – he also lauded his beaten opponents at the end of a tense encounter amid the Dublin rain.
“All credit to England. They have been incredible for the last 18 months. They deserve to be the title holders and there is probably more to come from this England team,” Schmidt told ITV Sport.
“It wasn’t the day for style, but I thought we played really well in the first 20 minutes and deserved the lead we had.
What a finish! What a win! #IrevEng #RBS6Nations #SuperSaturday #TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/26iRLcO9ZW
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 18, 2017
“Garry Ringrose was a revelation. He just keeps taking steps forward. That 20 minutes gave us enough confidence and from then on it was about staying in the match.
“Incredibly physical, but a little bit static. It showed courage is a massive part of any team performance.”
The result lifted Ireland up to second in the final standings.
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