The English Team Claims Ninth Straight Win Against Tough Fiji

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 notched four tries after halftime to beat a tough Fiji side in their latest fall test match.

The victory lengthens Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine games and backs up their triumph over the Wallabies the previous weekend.

The home side got on the board first through hooker Cowan-Dickie before Fiji responded with tries by Ikanivere and Caleb Muntz.

Number ten the Fijian playmaker failed to convert either try but nailed a penalty goal to take the Fijians further ahead before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Prop Genge and Ikanivere then exchanged tries to begin an entertaining second half.

Substitutes George and Arundell, who showed his scintillating pace, finished off tries to take the English side into a comfortable lead.

These tries came either side of Fiji scrum-half Simi Kuruvoli fumbling the ball when going for the tryline.

England captain Maro Itoje, who also entered as a substitute, grabbed the final try.

The English team now play the All Blacks next Saturday in their biggest challenge theoretically this autumn.

Before this meeting, the English team had won 8 of their nine games with Fiji – most recently winning a close contest in the last eight of the 2023 World Cup.

Their sole loss came just weeks before the competition in Europe and was a major turning point under the head coach.

With Fiji on a five-match winning run – their equal best run since 1999 – the game was always likely to be hard-fought.

Following slick phase play, back rower Cunningham-South made good ground before the hooker barged over for the first try from close range, with the Fijian's score off the back of a maul adding a quick response.

Nicknamed the flying Fijians, that was apparent in defense through powerful first-half tackles in the center, with full-back Marcus Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in particular picked out.

But it was the classic attacking Fijian flare that was the standout moment in the first forty as passes out of the tackle cut England's defence open for Muntz to score.

The winger expertly collected a kick across the field by Smith to take England ahead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Ravutaumada, who was awarded a sin-binning following a video review.

The English team broke clear from the Wallabies the previous weekend in the last twenty minutes through the strength of their replacements that contained multiple British and Irish Lions.

A much-changed starting lineup from the victory over the Wallabies did score the following touchdown as Genge crossed following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after tearing his Achilles tendon versus the Italians in spring.

Nonetheless, after a smart line-out move was completed by the Fijian, Borthwick introduced five of his bench on the 54th minute – including Lions players Henry Pollock and Tom Curry.

With the game still up for grabs, Fiji scrum-half the halfback fumbled of the ball when reaching for the tryline to negate substitute George's try.

Flanker Earl, a try-scorer against Australia, produced a spectacular try-saving tackle to keep breathing room between the sides.

It capped another all-round impressive performance by Earl, who received back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

Arundell's pace to race on to a grubber kick demonstrated exactly why the English replacements is so influential.

It is full of top players and quality, which has helped secure wins in the closing stages that were lost versus the Wallabies and New Zealand last autumn.

Given Scotland pushed the All Blacks hard, the English team will feel confident of making a big statement this weekend.

If successful, 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)