The English Team Earns Ninth Straight Win 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 notched four tries after halftime to overcome a tough Fijian team in their latest autumn international.

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

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

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

Ellis Genge and the Fijian hooker then exchanged tries to spark an entertaining second half.

Substitutes George and Henry Arundell, who demonstrated his scintillating pace, finished off tries to take the English side clear.

These tries came around Fiji scrum-half Simi Kuruvoli dropping the ball when attempting to score.

Skipper Maro Itoje, who also entered as a substitute, secured the final try.

The English team now face New Zealand this coming weekend in their biggest challenge on paper this fall.

Before this match, England had won 8 of their nine games with Fiji – most lately winning 30-24 in the last eight of the 2023 World Cup.

Their sole loss came just weeks before the competition in Europe and was a major turning point under the head coach.

With Fiji on a five-match winning run – their joint longest run since 1999 – the fixture was always likely to be hard-fought.

Following slick phase play, back rower Cunningham-South made good ground before the hooker barged over for the first try from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a maul providing a swift reply.

Nicknamed the flying Fijians, that was evident in defence through monstrous opening period tackles in the center, with number fifteen Marcus Smith, deployed as a second playmaker, in particular picked out.

But it was the vintage Fijian attacking flair that was the highlight in the first forty as offloads sliced through the English defense for the fly-half to touch down.

Feyi-Waboso sharply finished a kick across the field by Fin Smith to take England ahead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Ravutaumada, who was given a yellow card following a bunker review.

England broke clear from the Wallabies last Saturday in the final quarter through the strength of their replacements that included multiple British and Irish Lions.

A much-changed starting lineup from the victory over the Australians did grab the next try as Genge went over following a powerful run by Ollie Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after suffering his Achilles tendon versus Italy in spring.

Nonetheless, after a clever line-out move was finished by the Fijian, Borthwick introduced several of his substitutes on the 54-minute mark – including Lions tourists Pollock and Curry.

With the match still up for grabs, Fijian number nine the halfback lost control of the ball when reaching for the goal line to cancel out replacement George's try.

Breakdown specialist Earl, who scored against Australia, produced a stunning try-saving tackle to maintain a narrow lead between the teams.

It topped off another all-round impressive display by the flanker, who picked up back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

Arundell's pace to chase down a grubber kick demonstrated exactly why England's bench is so impactful.

It is full of top players and talent, which has aided in wins in the final quarter that were squandered versus the Wallabies and New Zealand last autumn.

Considering the Scottish side pushed the All Blacks hard, the English team will feel confident of making a big statement this weekend.

Should they win, the substitutes 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)