The English Team Secures Ninth 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

England scored 4 tries after halftime to defeat a resilient Fijian team in their second autumn international.

The victory continues Steve Borthwick's side's undefeated streak to nine games and supports their win over the Wallabies last Saturday.

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

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

Ellis Genge and Ikanivere then exchanged tries to begin an thrilling second half.

Substitutes George and Arundell, who displayed his blistering speed, finished off tries to take the English side clear.

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

England captain Itoje, who also came off the bench, grabbed the final try.

The English team now play New Zealand this coming weekend in their toughest test theoretically this fall.

Prior to this match, the English team had won 8 of their nine games with Fiji – most recently taking a close contest in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup.

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

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

After slick phase play, number eight Chandler Cunningham-South made good ground before Cowan-Dickie barged over for the first try from close range, with Ikanivere's try off the back of a driving maul providing a swift reply.

Nicknamed the flying Fijians, that was evident in defence through monstrous first-half midfield hits, with number fifteen Smith, deployed as a second playmaker, in particular picked out.

But it was the vintage attacking Fijian flare that was the highlight in the opening half as offloads cut England's defence open for the fly-half to score.

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

The English team pulled away from Australia the previous weekend in the final quarter through the power of their bench that included six Lions tourists.

A significantly altered starting lineup from the win over the Australians did score the next try as the prop went over following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after tearing his Achilles tendon versus the Italians in spring.

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

With the match still up for grabs, Fiji scrum-half the halfback fumbled of the ball when stretching for the goal line to negate replacement George's try.

Breakdown specialist Earl, who scored versus the Wallabies, produced a spectacular try-saving tackle to maintain a narrow lead between the sides.

It capped another outstanding overall performance by the flanker, who picked up back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

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

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

Given Scotland ran New Zealand close, Borthwick's side will feel confident of making a big statement next week.

If successful, the substitutes will likely play another key factor.

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)