England Claims Ninth Straight Victory Against 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 racked up 4 second-half tries to beat a resilient Fijian team in their second fall test match.

This win continues the English team's undefeated streak to nine matches and backs up their win over the Wallabies last Saturday.

The home side opened the scoring through hooker Cowan-Dickie before the visitors answered back with scores by Tevita Ikanivere and Caleb Muntz.

Number ten the Fijian playmaker failed to convert either try but slotted a penalty goal to take the visitors further ahead before Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Prop Genge and Ikanivere then traded scores to begin an exciting second half.

Replacements Jamie George and Arundell, who showed his blistering speed, finished off tries to take the hosts into a comfortable lead.

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

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

The English team now face New Zealand this coming weekend in their biggest challenge theoretically this autumn.

Prior to this match, England had won eight of their nine games with the Fijian side – most lately winning a close contest in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup.

That one defeat came just weeks before the tournament in Europe and was a significant shift under Borthwick.

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

Following smooth attacking phases, back rower Chandler Cunningham-South gained valuable meters before Cowan-Dickie forced his way over for the opening score from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a driving maul adding a swift reply.

Known as the flying Fijians, that was clear in defence through monstrous opening period tackles in the center, with number fifteen Smith, deployed as a second playmaker, in especial picked out.

But it was the classic attacking Fijian flare that was the highlight in the first forty as offloads sliced through the English defense for Muntz 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 Ravutaumada, who was given a yellow card following a bunker review.

The English team pulled away from the Wallabies last Saturday in the final quarter through the strength of their replacements that contained multiple British and Irish Lions.

A significantly altered starting lineup from the win over the Australians did grab the following touchdown as Genge crossed following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after tearing his Achilles against the Italians in spring.

Nonetheless, after a clever line-out move was finished by the Fijian, the coach introduced several of his bench on the 54th minute – including Lions players Pollock and Curry.

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

Flanker Earl, a try-scorer versus Australia, produced a spectacular game-saving stop to maintain breathing room between the teams.

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

The substitute's speed to chase down a grubber kick showcased exactly why England's bench is so influential.

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

Considering Scotland ran New Zealand close, the English team will fancy their chances of sending a message this weekend.

Should they win, the bench will probably 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)