Scotland ace identifies ‘perfect’ opponent to cure Six Nations heartache
The Scotland centre admits he was left “angry and frustrated” following the 18-15 loss in Rome.
Jones struggled to impact the game amidst torrential rain at the Stadio Olimpico.
Gregor Townsend’s side failed to register a single line break against the Azzurri.
It marked a stark contrast to previous attacking fluency, with the Scots looking uncharacteristically blunt.
A shot at immediate redemption
Jones insists the arrival of the Auld Enemy at Murrayfield offers the ideal platform to respond.
The midfielder has an impressive record in this fixture, having scored six tries in seven appearances.
However, the disappointment of the performance in Italy remains a driving force.
“After a loss when everyone’s hurting and when we didn’t really get to play, we all have that pent-up frustration and energy.”
Jones said
“Even if we’d won I would have come away knowing I didn’t get to do anything. I’m really angry about that and this week adds to the fuel of just wanting to go out and show what we can do.”
“It’s the perfect one for us to come back to.”
Facing a resurgent rival
Despite his personal success in the fixture, Jones is wary of the threat posed by the visitors.
He concedes this iteration of the England squad is potentially the strongest he has ever faced.
That assessment includes the side that handed Scotland a chastening 61-21 defeat at Twickenham in 2017.
Processing the pain
The dressing room atmosphere following the defeat in Rome was described as one of the toughest Jones has experienced.
He outlined the emotional cycle of defeat, moving from confusion to anger before focusing on clinical analysis.
“No-one’s hiding. It’s horrible and what’s tough for the public is that you don’t get to be in those conversations.”
“Part of being a professional rugby player is you have to get back to work immediately and you have to park those emotions – but you use that as fuel.”