The English Team Earns Ninth Straight Win Over Tough Fiji

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 overcome a physical Fijian team in their latest fall test match.

The victory continues Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine games and backs up their win over the Wallabies the previous weekend.

The home side got on the board first through Luke Cowan-Dickie before the visitors answered back with tries by Ikanivere and Caleb Muntz.

Number ten Muntz failed to convert either try but kicked a penalty goal to take the visitors further clear before Feyi-Waboso crossed.

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

Substitutes George and Henry Arundell, who showed his blistering speed, finished off tries to take the English side clear.

These tries came either side of Fijian halfback Simi Kuruvoli dropping the ball when going for the tryline.

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

Borthwick's side now face New Zealand next Saturday in their toughest test theoretically this fall.

Before this meeting, England had claimed victory in 8 of their nine matches with Fiji – most lately taking 30-24 in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup.

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

With Fiji on a five-game streak – their joint longest streak since the late nineties – the fixture was always likely to be hard-fought.

After slick phase play, number eight Chandler Cunningham-South made good ground before Cowan-Dickie forced his way over for the first try 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 apparent in defense through monstrous opening period tackles in the center, with full-back Marcus Smith, deployed as a additional playmaker, in especial picked out.

But it was the classic attacking Fijian flare that was the standout moment in the opening half as passes out of the tackle cut England's defence open for the fly-half to score.

Feyi-Waboso sharply finished a cross-field kick by Smith to take the hosts 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 Australia last Saturday in the final quarter through the power of their bench that included multiple Lions tourists.

A much-changed starting lineup from the victory over the Wallabies did grab the next try as the prop crossed following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after tearing his Achilles against Italy in spring.

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

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

Breakdown specialist Ben Earl, a try-scorer against Australia, produced a stunning game-saving stop to keep a narrow lead between the teams.

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

Arundell's pace to chase down a grubber kick showcased exactly why the English replacements is so impactful.

It is packed with stars and talent, which has helped secure wins in the final quarter that were squandered against the Wallabies and New Zealand last autumn.

Considering the Scottish side ran New Zealand close, the English team will fancy their chances of making a big statement next week.

If successful, 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)