The English Team Claims 9th Consecutive Win Against Physical 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

The English squad scored four second-half tries to beat a resilient Fiji side in their second autumn international.

This win continues the English team's winning run to nine matches and follows up their win over the Wallabies last Saturday.

England got on the board first through Luke Cowan-Dickie before Fiji responded with scores by Tevita Ikanivere and Caleb Muntz.

Number ten the Fijian playmaker missed both conversions but nailed a penalty goal to take the visitors further clear before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Prop Genge and the Fijian hooker then exchanged tries to spark an entertaining final forty minutes.

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

Those scores came either side of Fiji scrum-half Kuruvoli dropping the ball when attempting to score.

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

The English team now meet the All Blacks this coming weekend in their toughest test on paper this fall.

Prior to this match, England had claimed victory in eight of their 9 games with Fiji – most lately taking 30-24 in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup.

That one defeat came two months prior the competition in Europe and was a major turning point under Borthwick.

With Fiji on a five-match winning run – their equal best streak since 1999 – the game was always expected to be competitive.

Following slick phase play, back rower Cunningham-South gained valuable meters before the hooker barged over for the first try 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 clear in defence through powerful opening period tackles in the center, with full-back Smith, deployed as a additional playmaker, in particular picked out.

But it was the classic Fijian attacking flair that was the highlight in the opening half as passes out of the tackle sliced through the English defense for the fly-half to score.

Feyi-Waboso expertly collected a cross-field kick by Fin Smith to take England into the lead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Ravutaumada, who was given a sin-binning following a bunker review.

England broke clear from the Wallabies the previous weekend in the last twenty minutes through the strength of their bench that included multiple Lions tourists.

A significantly altered starting lineup from the victory over the Wallabies did grab the following touchdown as the prop went over following a powerful run by Ollie Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after suffering his Achilles versus the Italians in spring.

However, after a smart line-out move was completed by Ikanivere, Borthwick unloaded several of his bench on the 54th minute – featuring Lions tourists Pollock and Curry.

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

Flanker Ben Earl, who scored versus the Wallabies, produced a spectacular try-saving tackle to keep a narrow lead between the sides.

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

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

It is packed with stars and quality, which has helped secure wins in the closing stages that were lost against Australia and the All Blacks last autumn.

Given Scotland pushed the All Blacks hard, the English team will feel confident of sending a message 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)