The English Team Earns 9th Consecutive Win Over Physical 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 beat a resilient Fijian team in their latest autumn international.

The victory lengthens the English team's undefeated streak to nine matches and backs up their win over Australia last Saturday.

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

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

Prop Genge and Ikanivere then traded scores to begin an entertaining final forty minutes.

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

Those scores came around Fiji scrum-half Simi Kuruvoli dropping the ball when going for the tryline.

England captain Itoje, who also came off the bench, grabbed the final try.

Borthwick's side now meet the All Blacks this coming weekend in their biggest challenge on paper this fall.

Before this match, England had won eight of their 9 matches with the Fijian side – most recently winning a close contest in the last eight of the last global tournament.

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

With Fiji on a five-game streak – their joint longest run since 1999 – the fixture was always expected to be tight.

After slick phase play, back rower Chandler Cunningham-South gained valuable meters before the hooker forced his way over for the opening score from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a maul providing a quick response.

Known as the flying Fijians, that was clear in defense through monstrous first-half tackles in the center, with full-back Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in particular picked out.

But it was the vintage attacking Fijian flare 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 score.

Feyi-Waboso expertly collected a kick across the field by Smith to take England ahead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Ravutaumada, who was given a sin-binning following a bunker review.

The English team broke clear from Australia last Saturday in the last twenty minutes through the power of their replacements that included multiple British and Irish Lions.

A much-changed starting XV from the win over the Wallabies did grab the following touchdown as the prop went over following a powerful run by Ollie Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after tearing his Achilles against the Italians in spring.

However, after a smart line-out move was finished by the Fijian, Borthwick unloaded several of his bench on the 54th minute – featuring Lions players Henry Pollock and Tom Curry.

With the game still in the balance, Fiji scrum-half the halfback lost control of the ball when reaching for the goal line to cancel out replacement the hooker's score.

Breakdown specialist Ben Earl, who scored versus the Wallabies, produced a stunning try-saving tackle to keep breathing room between the sides.

It topped off another all-round impressive performance by the flanker, who picked up back-to-back 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 top players and talent, which has helped secure wins in the final quarter that were lost versus Australia and the All Blacks the previous fall.

Given Scotland ran New Zealand close, the English team will feel confident of sending a message 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)