England Secures Ninth Consecutive Win Over 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 racked up four second-half tries to beat a physical Fijian team in their second fall test match.

The victory continues Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine games and follows up their triumph over Australia the previous weekend.

England opened the scoring through Luke Cowan-Dickie before the visitors answered back with scores by Ikanivere and Muntz.

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

Prop Genge and the Fijian hooker then traded scores to spark an thrilling final forty minutes.

Replacements Jamie George and Henry Arundell, who showed his scintillating pace, finished off tries to take the English side into a comfortable lead.

Those scores came around Fijian halfback Simi Kuruvoli fumbling the ball when attempting to score.

Skipper Itoje, who also came off the bench, grabbed the last touchdown.

The English team now meet New Zealand next Saturday in their toughest test on paper this fall.

Before this meeting, England had claimed victory in 8 of their 9 games with the Fijian side – most lately taking 30-24 in the last eight of the 2023 World Cup.

That one defeat came two months prior the tournament in France and was a major turning point under Borthwick.

With the Pacific Islanders on a five-match winning run – their joint longest run since 1999 – the game was always expected to be hard-fought.

Following smooth attacking phases, number eight Cunningham-South made good ground before Cowan-Dickie barged over for the first try from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a driving maul providing a quick response.

Known as the flying Fijians, that was clear in defense through monstrous opening period tackles in the center, with number fifteen Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in particular targeted.

But it was the vintage 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.

Feyi-Waboso expertly collected a cross-field kick by Smith to take England into the lead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Ravutaumada, who was awarded a sin-binning following a video review.

The English team pulled away from the Wallabies last Saturday in the last twenty minutes through the power of their replacements that contained six British and Irish Lions.

A much-changed starting lineup from the win over the Wallabies did score the following touchdown as Genge went over following a strong carry by Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after tearing his Achilles against Italy in spring.

Nonetheless, after a smart line-out move was finished by Ikanivere, the coach unloaded several of his substitutes on the 54th minute – including Lions players Henry Pollock and Curry.

With the game still in the balance, Fijian number nine the halfback lost control of the ball when stretching for the goal line to negate substitute George's try.

Flanker Earl, a try-scorer against the Wallabies, produced a spectacular game-saving stop to keep a narrow lead between the sides.

It capped another all-round impressive performance by Earl, who received consecutive man of the match honors.

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

It is full of top players and quality, which has aided in victories in the final quarter that were lost against the Wallabies and New Zealand last autumn.

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

Should they win, the bench 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)