Maro Itoje will be forever haunted by Scotland's historic 11-6 win over England in game one of the 2021 Six Nations.

The former Harpenden St George's pupil was part of the home team powerless to stop a superb Scottish performance claim a first win at Twickenham since 1983.

This was no shock win either as Scotland dominated an alarmingly-poor England.

Itoje said: "You never really forget these days and to be honest I don't really want to.

"I want to move on from it but I don't want to forget it as it keeps you sharp. Losing like this at Twickenham is never what you dream of, so it's definitely not ideal."

For as good as Scotland were, England looked lacklustre throughout with their forwards listless and the backs starved of any positive and creative attacking moments.

Head coach Eddie Jones laid the blame for the performance squarely at his feet but Itoje said the players need to shoulder the blame too.

He said: "We're the ones on the field, we're the ones responsible for our own performance.

"We didn't give the best account of ourselves and as players we have to do better because that wasn't good enough.

"We all know it wasn't up to scratch. It's a tough lesson to take but we've got four more games to control our destiny.

"I don't know if shock is the right word - we know how Scotland play, we know the intensity they bring, but we were off the mark, unfortunately.

"We were off the mark and again we need to get better at our basics. The basics of our game, we didn't bring.

"We have to roll up our sleeves and get ready for some hard work and some honest self-reflection.

"The most important thing is what we do next and how we move forward and that's what I'm excited about, how we can galvanise ourselves and move forward."

Herts Advertiser: Owen Farrell is tackled by Scott Cummings during England's defeat to Scotland in the Six Nations at Twickenham.Owen Farrell is tackled by Scott Cummings during England's defeat to Scotland in the Six Nations at Twickenham. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Saracens team-mate and fellow Harpenden Georgian Owen Farrell also used galvanising to describe the defeat and he refused to rule out a resurgence over the remainder of the tournament.

He said: "It is very disappointing to come out this side of the result but it's not difficult to galvanise this team.

"I think this will light a fire in us for the rest of the tournament, not just waiting to see what happens, but making it happen."