England Earns 9th Consecutive Victory Over 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

The English squad notched 4 second-half tries to defeat a tough Fijian team in their latest autumn international.

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

The home side got on the board first through Luke Cowan-Dickie before the visitors responded with scores by Ikanivere and Muntz.

Fly-half Muntz failed to convert either try but slotted a penalty to take the Fijians further ahead before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Ellis Genge and the Fijian hooker then traded scores to ignite an entertaining second half.

Replacements Jamie George and Arundell, who showed his blistering speed, finished off tries to take the hosts clear.

Those scores came around Fiji scrum-half Simi Kuruvoli spilling the ball when going for the tryline.

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

Borthwick's side now face the All Blacks this coming weekend in their biggest challenge theoretically this fall.

Before this encounter, England had claimed victory in 8 of their 9 games with Fiji – most lately taking 30-24 in the last eight of the 2023 World Cup.

That one defeat came two months prior the competition in Europe and was a significant shift under Borthwick.

With the Pacific Islanders on a five-game streak – their joint longest run since the late nineties – the game was always likely to be hard-fought.

Following smooth attacking phases, number eight Cunningham-South made good ground before Cowan-Dickie forced his way over for the first try from short distance, with Ikanivere's try off the back of a maul providing a quick response.

Known as the flying Fijians, that was evident in defense through powerful opening period midfield hits, with full-back Marcus Smith, deployed as a additional playmaker, in especial picked out.

But it was the classic attacking Fijian flare that was the highlight in the first forty as passes out of the tackle sliced through the English defense for Muntz to touch down.

Feyi-Waboso sharply finished a kick across the field by Smith to take England 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.

England broke clear from Australia the previous weekend in the last twenty minutes through the impact of their bench that contained multiple British and Irish Lions.

A significantly altered starting lineup from the victory over the Wallabies did grab the next try as Genge crossed following a strong carry by Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after tearing his Achilles tendon against Italy in spring.

Nonetheless, after a clever line-out move was finished by Ikanivere, the coach introduced five of his substitutes on the 54-minute mark – featuring Lions players Pollock and Tom Curry.

With the match still in the balance, Fiji scrum-half the halfback fumbled of the ball when stretching for the tryline to negate replacement George's try.

Breakdown specialist Ben Earl, a try-scorer versus Australia, produced a spectacular try-saving tackle to maintain a narrow lead between the sides.

It capped another all-round impressive performance by the flanker, who picked up consecutive man of the match honors.

Arundell's pace to chase down a grubber kick demonstrated exactly why the English replacements is so impactful.

It is packed with stars and quality, which has aided in victories in the final quarter that were lost versus the Wallabies and New Zealand the previous fall.

Considering the Scottish side 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)