The English Team Secures Ninth Consecutive Win Against Tough Fiji

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

England scored 4 tries after halftime to defeat a resilient Fiji side in their latest autumn international.

The victory extends Steve Borthwick's side's undefeated streak to nine matches and follows up their win over the Wallabies the previous weekend.

The home side opened the scoring through Luke Cowan-Dickie before Fiji responded with scores by Ikanivere and Muntz.

Fly-half the Fijian playmaker missed both conversions but kicked a penalty to take the visitors further ahead before Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Prop Genge and the Fijian hooker then exchanged tries to begin an thrilling second half.

Substitutes George and Arundell, who showed his blistering speed, finished off tries to take the English side into a comfortable lead.

These tries came around Fijian halfback Kuruvoli fumbling the ball when going for the tryline.

Skipper Itoje, who also came off the bench, scored the final try.

Borthwick's side now face New Zealand next Saturday in their biggest challenge theoretically this autumn.

Prior to this encounter, the English team had claimed victory in eight of their 9 matches with the Fijian side – most lately winning a close contest in the last eight of the last global tournament.

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

With Fiji on a five-match winning run – their joint longest run since the late nineties – the game was always expected to be hard-fought.

After slick phase play, back rower Cunningham-South made good ground before Cowan-Dickie forced his way over for the opening score from close range, with Ikanivere's try off the back of a maul providing a swift reply.

Known as the flying Fijians, that was evident in defence through powerful opening period tackles in the center, with number fifteen Smith, used as a second playmaker, in particular picked out.

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.

The winger expertly collected a cross-field kick by Fin Smith to take England into the lead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Selestino Ravutaumada, who was awarded a yellow card following a video review.

The English team pulled away from Australia last Saturday in the last twenty minutes through the strength 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 went over following a powerful run by Ollie Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after suffering his Achilles against the Italians in March.

Nonetheless, after a clever set piece was finished by Ikanivere, Borthwick unloaded several of his substitutes on the 54th minute – featuring Lions tourists Henry Pollock and Tom Curry.

With the match still up for grabs, Fijian number nine Kuruvoli fumbled of the ball when reaching for the tryline to negate replacement the hooker's score.

Flanker Earl, who scored versus Australia, produced a stunning game-saving stop to keep breathing room between the sides.

It topped off another outstanding overall display by the flanker, who received back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

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

It is packed with top players and talent, which has aided in victories in the closing stages that were lost against the Wallabies and New Zealand last autumn.

Given the Scottish side ran New Zealand close, Borthwick's side will fancy their chances of making a big statement this weekend.

Should they win, the bench will likely 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)