The English Team Claims 9th Straight Victory Over Tough Fijian Side

Quilter Nations Series

England (14) 38

Tries: Cowan-Dickie, Feyi-Waboso, Genge, George, Arundell, Itoje Cons: F Smith 5

Fiji (13) 18

Tries: Ikanivere 2, Muntz Pen: Muntz

England scored 4 second-half tries to defeat a resilient Fijian team in their latest autumn international.

This win extends Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine matches and supports their win over the Wallabies the previous weekend.

England opened the scoring through Luke Cowan-Dickie before Fiji answered back with scores by Ikanivere and Muntz.

Number ten the Fijian playmaker missed both conversions but kicked a penalty to take the visitors further ahead before Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Ellis Genge and the Fijian hooker then traded scores to spark an thrilling second half.

Replacements Jamie George and Henry Arundell, who showed his blistering speed, touched down to take the hosts into a comfortable lead.

Those scores came around Fijian halfback Simi Kuruvoli dropping the ball when attempting to score.

Skipper Itoje, who also entered as a substitute, scored the last touchdown.

Borthwick's side now meet New Zealand this coming weekend in their biggest challenge on paper this autumn.

Prior to this match, the English team had claimed victory in eight of their nine games with Fiji – most lately winning a close contest in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup.

That one defeat came just weeks before the competition in France and was a significant shift under the head coach.

With Fiji on a five-game streak – their equal best streak since the late nineties – the game was always expected to be hard-fought.

After slick phase play, number eight Cunningham-South made good ground before the hooker forced his way over for the first try from close range, with the Fijian's score off the back of a maul providing a swift reply.

Nicknamed the Flying Fijians, that was evident in defence through huge first-half midfield hits, with full-back Smith, used as a second playmaker, in especial targeted.

But it was the classic attacking Fijian flare that was the highlight in the first forty as passes out of the tackle cut England's defence open for the fly-half to touch down.

The winger sharply finished a cross-field kick by Fin Smith to take the hosts into the lead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Selestino Ravutaumada, who was given a sin-binning following a bunker review.

The English team pulled away from the Wallabies the previous weekend in the last twenty minutes through the strength of their bench that contained six Lions tourists.

A much-changed starting XV from the win over the Australians did score the next try as the prop went over following a strong carry by Ollie Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after tearing his Achilles versus the Italians in spring.

Nonetheless, after a clever set piece was finished by the Fijian, the coach unloaded five of his substitutes on the 54-minute mark – featuring Lions tourists Henry Pollock and Curry.

With the game still up for grabs, Fijian number nine Kuruvoli fumbled of the ball when reaching for the tryline to cancel out replacement George's try.

Breakdown specialist Earl, a try-scorer versus Australia, produced a spectacular game-saving stop to maintain breathing room between the sides.

It topped off another outstanding overall display by the flanker, who picked up consecutive player-of-the-match awards.

The substitute's speed to chase down a grubber kick demonstrated exactly why England's bench is so influential.

It is packed with stars and talent, which has helped secure wins in the final quarter that were squandered against the Wallabies and New Zealand the previous fall.

Considering Scotland pushed the All Blacks hard, Borthwick's side will fancy their chances of making a big statement this weekend.

Should they win, the bench will likely again be crucial.

England: M Smith; Freeman, Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Heyes, Coles, Chessum, Pepper, Earl, Cunningham-South

Replacements: George, Baxter, Opoku-Fordjour, Itoje, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, Arundell

Fiji: Rayasi; Ravutaumada, Ravouvou, Tuisova, Wainiqolo; Muntz, Kuruvoli; Mawi, Ikanivere, Doge, Nasilasila, Mayanavanua, Sowakula, Canakaivata, Mata

Replacements: Togiatama, Hetet, Tawake, Vocevoce, Murray, Wye, Armstrong-Ravula, Maqala

Sin-bin: Ravutaumada

Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

Assistant referee: Luc Ramos (France) and Katsuki Furuse (Japan)

Television match official: Mike Adamson (Scotland)