• Farrell says loss to All Blacks was tough but Japan is main aim • Eddie Jones has no complaints after late try is ruled out

Owen Farrell believes the controversial defeat to New Zealand was easier to take because England will be closer to their peak if the sides meet in next year’s World Cup.

England thought they taken the lead five minutes from time, but Sam Underhill’s try was ruled out after Courtney Lawes’s chargedown from an offside position.

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“It was a game that got away,” said Farrell, England’s co-captain who was in charge for the second half when Dylan Hartley was taken off because of a thumb injury. “We stayed in it for the full 80 minutes, and while you aim to win every match, we want to peak in 2019.

“There were always going to be mistakes because of the weather and I am proud of the way we stuck in there. I was starting to get into position for a drop goal at the end, but sadly we lost the ball.”

England held on to beat South Africa by a point last week after a review of Farrell’s tackle on Andre Esterhuizen ruled that it was legitimate and Eddie Jones had no complaints about Underhill’s effort being denied.

“If the television match official cannot make the right one with 10 replays who can? Sometimes the game loves you and sometimes it doesn’t,” he said.

“We are devastated to lose but we will take a lot from it. We will only improve. They had twice our number of caps and had been together for three months rather than three weeks and while we are disappointed, we are excited about where we are going.”

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When England were 15-13 ahead nine minutes into the second-half, Farrell twice opted for lineouts rather than attempt kickable penalties. “I wanted to have a crack at them there and then,” he said, with hindsight showing the three points would have been enough to secure victory.

Jones backed Farrell. “The players feel the game, coaches see it,” he said. “If they feel there is an opportunity to have a crack at the opposition, go for it. What is the point of having leaders in the team otherwise? Our aim is still to become the best in the world and the longer we are together, the better we will get. We are developing strength in depth.”

New Zealand’s next match is against Six Nations champions Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. “This was one of those ones where it comes right down to the wire,” Kieran Read, the All Blacks captain, said. “That’s what you want in Test matches and why I always love coming to Twickenham.”s