The English Team Earns 9th Straight Victory Against Tough 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 overcome a tough Fiji side in their latest autumn international.
This win lengthens the English team's undefeated streak to nine games and supports their win over the Wallabies the previous weekend.
The home side opened the scoring through hooker Cowan-Dickie before the visitors responded with tries 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 spark an thrilling second half.
Substitutes George and Henry Arundell, who displayed his blistering speed, finished off tries to take the English side into a comfortable lead.
Those scores came either side of Fijian halfback Kuruvoli dropping the ball when attempting to score.
Skipper Itoje, who also entered as a substitute, secured the last touchdown.
The English team now play the All Blacks next Saturday in their biggest challenge theoretically this fall.
Fiji Start Fast to Challenge The English
Before this match, the English team had won 8 of their 9 matches with Fiji – most recently taking 30-24 in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup.
That one defeat came just weeks before the competition in Europe and was a significant shift under Borthwick.
With Fiji on a five-game streak – their joint longest streak since 1999 – the fixture was always expected to be competitive.
After smooth attacking phases, back rower Cunningham-South made good ground before Cowan-Dickie barged over for the opening score from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a maul providing a quick response.
Nicknamed the flying Fijians, that was apparent in defence through huge opening period midfield hits, with full-back Marcus Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in particular picked out.
But it was the classic Fijian attacking flair that was the standout moment in the opening half as passes out of the tackle sliced through the English defense for the fly-half to touch down.
The winger expertly collected a cross-field kick by Smith to take the hosts into the lead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Selestino Ravutaumada, who was awarded a sin-binning following a bunker review.
England's Impact Substitutes Shines Once More
The English team broke clear from the Wallabies the previous weekend in the final quarter through the strength of their bench that contained multiple Lions tourists.
A significantly altered starting lineup from the win over the Wallabies did grab the following touchdown as the prop crossed following a powerful run by Ollie Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after suffering his Achilles versus Italy in spring.
However, after a smart line-out move was finished by Ikanivere, the coach unloaded five of his bench on the 54-minute mark – including Lions tourists Pollock and Curry.
With the game still in the balance, Fijian number nine Kuruvoli lost control of the ball when reaching for the tryline to negate substitute the hooker's score.
Breakdown specialist Ben Earl, who scored versus the Wallabies, produced a stunning try-saving tackle to keep breathing room between the sides.
It topped off another all-round impressive performance by the flanker, who received back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.
Arundell's pace to race on to a kick through demonstrated exactly why the English replacements is so impactful.
It is packed with top players and quality, which has aided in wins in the closing stages that were lost versus the Wallabies and New Zealand last autumn.
Considering the Scottish side ran New Zealand close, the English team will fancy their chances of making a big statement this weekend.
If successful, the substitutes will likely again be crucial.
Line-ups
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
Match Officials
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant referee: Luc Ramos (France) and Katsuki Furuse (Japan)
Television match official: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
