The English Team Earns 9th Consecutive Victory Against Tough Fijian Side

Autumn International 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 second-half tries to defeat a physical Fiji side in their latest fall test match.

This win lengthens Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine games and backs up their win over the Wallabies last Saturday.

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

Number ten the Fijian playmaker missed both conversions but kicked a penalty goal to take the visitors further ahead before Feyi-Waboso scored.

Ellis Genge and Ikanivere then traded scores to begin an entertaining second half.

Substitutes 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 around Fijian halfback Kuruvoli fumbling the ball when going for the tryline.

Skipper Itoje, who also entered as a substitute, grabbed the last touchdown.

Borthwick's side now play the All Blacks this coming weekend in their biggest challenge on paper this autumn.

Before this match, the English team had claimed victory in 8 of their 9 games with the Fijian side – most recently 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 major turning point under Borthwick.

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

After slick phase play, back rower Cunningham-South made good ground before the hooker forced his way over for the opening score from close range, with the Fijian's score off the back of a driving maul adding a swift reply.

Nicknamed the Flying Fijians, that was evident in defence through powerful first-half midfield hits, with number fifteen Marcus Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in especial picked out.

But it was the vintage attacking Fijian flare that was the standout moment in the opening half as offloads sliced through the English defense for the fly-half to score.

The winger expertly collected a kick across the field by Smith to take the hosts ahead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Ravutaumada, who was awarded a sin-binning following a bunker review.

The English team broke clear from Australia the previous weekend in the final quarter through the impact of their bench that contained six British and Irish Lions.

A much-changed starting XV from the win over the Australians did score the next try as Genge crossed following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after suffering his Achilles tendon versus the Italians in March.

Nonetheless, after a smart line-out move was completed by the Fijian, the coach unloaded five of his bench on the 54-minute mark – featuring Lions players Henry Pollock and Tom Curry.

With the game still in the balance, Fijian number nine the halfback fumbled of the ball when stretching 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 breathing room between the teams.

It topped off another all-round impressive display by the flanker, who received consecutive player-of-the-match awards.

The substitute's speed to race on to a kick through demonstrated exactly why England's bench is so influential.

It is packed with stars and quality, which has aided in wins in the final quarter that were squandered against Australia and the All Blacks the previous fall.

Given Scotland ran New Zealand close, Borthwick's side will fancy their chances of sending a message next week.

Should they win, the substitutes will probably 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)