England boss Steve Borthwick makes Six Nations vow ahead of France clash after citing Ireland error

"Ultimately we came up short, and I'm really disappointed we came up short because I thought we could win this game," Borthwick said.

"We'll ensure that we're a better team next week against France back at Twickenham," he added, as pressure continues to mount on his position following an unsuccessful autumn campaign.

England had started promisingly, leading 10-5 at half-time thanks to debutant Cadan Murley's early try and Marcus Smith's penalty.

The hosts were initially stifled by England's dogged defence, even when Smith was sin-binned in the first half.

However, Ireland dominated the third quarter, scoring 22 unanswered points through tries from Jamison Gibson-Park, Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan.

Late consolation tries from Tom Curry and Tommy Freeman secured a losing bonus point for England, making the final scoreline more respectable.

"That third quarter was probably the critical period," Borthwick admitted after the match.

Borthwick pointed to the significant experience gap between the two sides as a key factor in the defeat.

EXCLUSIVE: Olympics hero Dame Laura Kenny opens up on how cycling helped her overcome miscarriage trauma

"If you look at today's game, you see two different teams," he said.

"You've seen an Ireland team that's been together such a huge amount of time, nearly 1,200 caps, and you've seen an England team that's been building over the last six months, with just over half that number of caps."

Despite this disparity, Borthwick noted the difference wasn't apparent early on. "If you watched that at the start of the game, you'd be saying you don't see that difference," he said.

Despite the defeat, Borthwick highlighted positive developments in England's attacking play.

"From the messages I've already received, you've seen a team that is starting to really develop how we want to move the ball, really develop how we want to attack," he said.

The England coach praised his team's work ethic during the match. "You saw a team that worked exceptionally hard for each other," he noted.

He acknowledged Ireland's tactical superiority in the crucial stages. "Ireland are a world-class team and have been world-class for so long. Ultimately, that experience told in the third quarter, where I thought tactically they played really well."

READ MORE: Luke Littler responds to James Wade's 'lazy' jibes after 4-0 thrashing

New England captain Maro Itoje remained upbeat despite his first match as skipper ending in defeat.

"I thought the first half was fantastic. We did pretty much everything we wanted to," Itoje said.

He praised his team's determination in securing a bonus point. "We fought to get the losing bonus point at the end and that's definitely admirable.

"This is a tight competition and every point matters."

"There were large parts of our game which I think we took a step forward," Itoje added. "The energy we had on the field, the vibrancy to our attack, and the way the guys were flooding through holes I thought was very admirable."

England now face a daunting challenge against France at Twickenham next Saturday, with Les Bleus entering the match following a commanding 43-0 victory over Wales in Paris.

The mounting pressure on Borthwick's position could intensify quickly, with challenging home fixtures against both France and Scotland looming.

LATEST SPORT NEWS:

• F1 legend proposes to model girlfriend 24 years his junior after acting like 'proper gentleman'
• Emma Raducanu's former coach makes feelings clear on tennis star's 'work ethic' after Singapore Open loss
• England star hits out as BBC deal threatens disaster for future Six Nations tournaments

Since denying Ireland consecutive Grand Slams with a last-gasp win in last year's tournament, England's only successes have come against Japan.

Borthwick's bold selection choices, including the mobile back row of twin brothers Tom and Ben Curry alongside Ben Earl, showed initial promise but ultimately couldn't prevent another disappointing result.