The English Team Claims Ninth Straight Win Against Physical 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 four second-half tries to beat a physical Fiji side in their latest autumn international.

The victory extends Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine matches and supports their win over the Wallabies last Saturday.

The home side opened the scoring through hooker Cowan-Dickie before the visitors responded with tries by Tevita Ikanivere and Muntz.

Number ten Muntz failed to convert either try but kicked a penalty to take the Fijians further ahead before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Ellis Genge and Ikanivere then exchanged tries to ignite an entertaining second half.

Substitutes Jamie George and Arundell, who demonstrated his scintillating pace, touched down to take the hosts into a comfortable lead.

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

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

The English team now meet the All Blacks this coming weekend in their biggest challenge theoretically this autumn.

Prior to this match, England had claimed victory in 8 of their 9 games with the Fijian side – most lately winning a close contest in the last eight of the 2023 World Cup.

That one defeat came just weeks before the competition in France and was a significant shift under the head coach.

With the Pacific Islanders on a five-match winning run – their equal best run since 1999 – the fixture was always likely to be tight.

Following smooth attacking phases, back rower Cunningham-South gained valuable meters before Cowan-Dickie barged over for the first try from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a maul adding a swift reply.

Nicknamed the flying Fijians, that was clear in defense through monstrous first-half tackles in the center, with number fifteen Smith, used 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 the fly-half to score.

Feyi-Waboso expertly collected a cross-field kick by Fin Smith to take the hosts ahead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Selestino 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 impact of their bench that contained multiple Lions tourists.

A much-changed starting lineup from the win over the Wallabies did score the following touchdown as Genge crossed following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after suffering his Achilles tendon against Italy in spring.

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

With the game still in the balance, Fiji scrum-half Kuruvoli lost control of the ball when reaching for the tryline to negate replacement the hooker's score.

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

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

Arundell's pace to race on to a grubber kick showcased exactly why England's bench is so impactful.

It is packed with top players and talent, which has helped secure wins in the final quarter that were lost against the Wallabies and New Zealand the previous fall.

Considering Scotland pushed the All Blacks hard, the English team will fancy their chances of making a big statement next week.

Should they win, the substitutes 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)