The English Team Secures 9th 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

England scored 4 second-half tries to overcome a physical Fijian team in their second fall test match.

The victory lengthens Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine matches and backs up their win over Australia last Saturday.

England opened the scoring through hooker Cowan-Dickie before the visitors answered back with tries by Ikanivere and Muntz.

Fly-half Muntz failed to convert either try but slotted a penalty goal to take the visitors further clear before Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Prop Genge and the Fijian hooker then exchanged tries to spark an exciting second half.

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

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

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

The English team now play New Zealand this coming weekend in their toughest test on paper this autumn.

Prior to this encounter, the English team had won eight of their nine games with Fiji – most recently winning 30-24 in the quarter-finals of the last global tournament.

That one defeat came two months prior the tournament in France and was a major turning point under the head coach.

With Fiji on a five-game streak – their joint longest run since 1999 – the fixture was always expected 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 opening score from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a driving maul adding a quick response.

Known as the Flying Fijians, that was clear in defence through monstrous opening period midfield hits, with full-back 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 offloads sliced through the English defense for the fly-half to touch down.

Feyi-Waboso sharply finished a cross-field kick by Fin Smith to take England ahead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Selestino Ravutaumada, who was given a sin-binning following a video review.

England pulled away from Australia last Saturday in the last twenty minutes through the impact of their bench that included multiple British and Irish Lions.

A significantly altered starting lineup from the victory over the Wallabies did score the next try as Genge crossed following a strong carry by Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after tearing his Achilles against Italy in March.

However, after a smart line-out move was finished by the Fijian, the coach unloaded several of his substitutes on the 54-minute mark – including Lions players Pollock and Tom Curry.

With the game still in the balance, Fijian number nine Kuruvoli fumbled of the ball when reaching for the tryline to negate replacement George's try.

Flanker Ben Earl, a try-scorer against Australia, produced a spectacular try-saving tackle to keep a narrow lead between the sides.

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

The substitute's speed to race on to a kick through demonstrated exactly why England's bench is so impactful.

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

Considering the Scottish side ran New Zealand close, Borthwick's side will fancy their chances of sending a message next week.

If successful, 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)