England Secures 9th Consecutive Win Over Physical 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 scored four second-half tries to beat a resilient Fijian team in their latest fall test match.

The victory extends the English team's undefeated streak to nine matches and supports their win over Australia the previous weekend.

England got on the board first through Luke Cowan-Dickie before the visitors answered back with scores by Ikanivere and Caleb Muntz.

Number ten Muntz missed both conversions but kicked a penalty goal to take the Fijians further clear before Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Prop Genge and Ikanivere then traded scores to ignite an entertaining final forty minutes.

Replacements Jamie George and Henry Arundell, who displayed his scintillating pace, finished off tries to take the English side into a comfortable lead.

Those scores came either side of Fijian halfback Simi Kuruvoli dropping the ball when attempting to score.

England captain Maro Itoje, who also came off the bench, scored the last touchdown.

Borthwick's side now meet the All Blacks this coming weekend in their toughest test theoretically this autumn.

Prior to this match, England had won eight of their 9 games with the Fijian side – most recently taking a close contest in the last eight of the last global tournament.

Their sole loss came two months prior the tournament in Europe and was a major turning point under Borthwick.

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

After slick phase play, number eight Cunningham-South gained valuable meters before the hooker barged over for the opening score from short distance, with Ikanivere's try off the back of a driving maul providing a quick response.

Known as the Flying Fijians, that was apparent in defence through powerful first-half midfield hits, with full-back Marcus Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in particular targeted.

But it was the vintage attacking Fijian flare that was the standout moment in the first forty as passes out of the tackle sliced through the English defense for the fly-half to score.

The winger sharply finished a kick across the field by Smith to take England ahead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Selestino Ravutaumada, who was awarded a yellow card following a video review.

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

A much-changed starting XV from the victory over the Wallabies did score the next try as Genge went over following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after tearing his Achilles tendon versus the Italians in spring.

Nonetheless, after a smart set piece was finished by the Fijian, the coach unloaded five of his bench on the 54th minute – featuring Lions tourists Henry Pollock and Tom Curry.

With the match still up for grabs, Fiji scrum-half Kuruvoli lost control of the ball when stretching for the tryline to cancel out substitute George's try.

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

It capped another outstanding overall display by the flanker, who picked up back-to-back man of the match honors.

The substitute's speed to chase down a kick through demonstrated exactly why the English replacements is so influential.

It is full of stars and quality, which has helped secure victories in the closing stages that were squandered against Australia and the All Blacks the previous fall.

Given the Scottish side ran New Zealand close, Borthwick's side will fancy their chances of making a big statement next week.

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)