‘After the game last weekend, it was one of the tougher changing rooms I’ve been in,’ reflected the British and Irish Lions star.
‘We have experienced losses before, but I think everyone was just really dejected after that. The anger and frustration comes later on, maybe on the Sunday.
‘Then we do the review. Those conversations were very honest. I think we got to the bottom of them – and it’s horrible.
‘What’s tough for the public is that you don’t get to be in those conversations. So you’re left seeing the loss and then kind of stewing over it for the whole week and not getting answers because you’re not in our meetings.
‘Whereas for us, a part of being a professional rugby player is you have to get back to work immediately and you have to feel those emotions and park those emotions; use that as fuel but also be very objective and clinical in your review process.
‘We have to look at that first 20 minutes against Italy. That’s where the game was ultimately won and lost.
‘Essentially they got two chances off launches and scored within three phases. We also got down their end and did nothing with that. So that’s essentially where the game was lost for us.
‘It’s frustrating because you want to start well. I think the Six Nations is all about momentum and building those wins. I think our full focus has been on just one game at a time and we didn’t get the first one.
‘But you have to just let that go and forget about it. It doesn’t matter now. You don’t worry about being derailed and where you’re going to be on the table and all that stuff. I think it’s just game by game.
‘I don’t personally feel like things have gone stale or anything like that. I still believe in this group.
‘I think probably consistency is what it comes down to and that hasn’t been good enough for probably a number of years because we haven’t managed to win a Six Nations.
‘We haven’t managed to string enough wins together. That’s probably what it comes down to.’