England Claims Ninth Straight Victory 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
The English squad racked up 4 second-half tries to overcome a resilient Fijian team in their latest fall test match.
This win extends Steve Borthwick's side's undefeated streak to nine matches and backs up their win over the Wallabies the previous weekend.
The home side got on the board first through hooker Cowan-Dickie before Fiji answered back with scores by Tevita Ikanivere and Muntz.
Fly-half the Fijian playmaker failed to convert either try but slotted a penalty to take the Fijians further clear before Feyi-Waboso crossed.
Ellis Genge and Ikanivere then exchanged tries to ignite an exciting final forty minutes.
Substitutes George and Henry Arundell, who showed his blistering speed, touched down to take the hosts clear.
Those scores came either side of Fiji scrum-half Simi Kuruvoli fumbling the ball when going for the tryline.
Skipper Maro Itoje, who also came off the bench, scored the last touchdown.
Borthwick's side now meet the All Blacks next Saturday in their toughest test theoretically this autumn.
The Fijians Start Fast to Pressure England
Prior to this match, England had claimed victory in 8 of their 9 games with the Fijian side – most lately taking a close contest in the quarter-finals of the last global tournament.
That one defeat came just weeks before the competition in France and was a significant shift under Borthwick.
With the Pacific Islanders on a five-game streak – their joint longest streak since 1999 – the fixture was always expected to be tight.
After smooth attacking phases, back rower Chandler Cunningham-South made good ground before the hooker forced his way over for the first try from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a maul providing a swift reply.
Known as the Flying Fijians, that was apparent in defense through monstrous opening period midfield hits, with full-back Marcus Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in particular targeted.
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.
The winger expertly collected a kick across the field by Fin Smith to take the hosts into the lead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Selestino Ravutaumada, who was given a sin-binning following a video review.
The English Impact Substitutes Shines Once More
England pulled away from the Wallabies the previous weekend in the final quarter through the impact of their replacements that included multiple Lions tourists.
A much-changed starting lineup from the victory over the Wallabies did score the next try as the prop crossed following a strong carry by Ollie Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after suffering his Achilles versus the Italians in March.
Nonetheless, after a smart set piece was completed by Ikanivere, Borthwick introduced five of his substitutes on the 54th minute – featuring Lions players Henry Pollock and Curry.
With the game still in the balance, Fiji scrum-half Kuruvoli lost control of the ball when reaching for the tryline to cancel out substitute the hooker's score.
Breakdown specialist Earl, who scored versus the Wallabies, produced a spectacular game-saving stop to keep a narrow lead between the teams.
It topped off another outstanding overall performance by Earl, who picked up back-to-back man of the match honors.
Arundell's pace to race on to a kick through showcased exactly why the English replacements is so impactful.
It is full of stars and talent, which has helped secure wins in the final quarter that were squandered versus the Wallabies and New Zealand the previous fall.
Given Scotland ran New Zealand close, the English team will feel confident of making a big statement this weekend.
Should they win, the bench will probably play another key factor.
Team Sheets
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
Refereeing Team
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant referee: Luc Ramos (France) and Katsuki Furuse (Japan)
Television match official: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
