Rory Best hails "monumental" Ireland performance

Ireland captain Rory Best has described his side's performance during their 13-9 win over England this afternoon as "monumental".

Ireland ensured second place in the Six Nations with a bruising victory over Eddie Jones's side in Dublin, denying the visitors a second successive Grand Slam and a record-breaking 19th consecutive Test triumph.

Best admitted that England were worthy champions over the course of the tournament, but believes that his own team can be "proud" of their efforts after becoming the first side to inflict defeat on Jones's England.

"It was a really tough game - probably when we wake up tomorrow there will be a lot of sore bodies. They're a quality team, we knew that. You don't come here looking for back-to-back Grand Slams if you're not a good outfit," he told reporters.

"It wasn't something we were focusing on all week. We were trying to look at ourselves and we knew it was going to take a monumental effort to stop a team like this. Days like this you have to be very, very proud of the boys and the way they've fronted up against a quality outfit.

"They're deserved champions the way they have played this season. We're very happy with that win. I think we'll look back on another day at aspects of this campaign we let slip by. But that was a lot more like us. I think we can leave this championship proud of the effort that we had."

Ireland were also responsible for ending New Zealand's world-record 18-match winning streak in Chicago in November.