The English Team Earns 9th Consecutive Victory 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 racked up 4 tries after halftime to beat a tough Fiji side in their second autumn international.

The victory continues the English team's winning run to nine games and follows up their win over Australia last Saturday.

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

Number ten the Fijian playmaker missed both conversions but kicked a penalty goal to take the Fijians further clear before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Ellis Genge and the Fijian hooker then exchanged tries to begin an entertaining final forty minutes.

Substitutes George and Henry Arundell, who demonstrated his scintillating pace, touched down to take the English side clear.

Those scores came around Fiji scrum-half Simi Kuruvoli spilling the ball when attempting to score.

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

Borthwick's side now meet New Zealand this coming weekend in their toughest test theoretically this autumn.

Prior to this meeting, the English team had won 8 of their nine games with the Fijian side – most recently winning 30-24 in the quarter-finals of the last global tournament.

That one defeat came just weeks before the competition in France and was a major turning point under the head coach.

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 smooth attacking phases, back rower Cunningham-South made good ground before Cowan-Dickie forced his way over for the opening score from close range, with the Fijian's score off the back of a driving maul adding a swift reply.

Known as the Flying Fijians, that was evident in defence through huge opening period tackles in the center, with number fifteen Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in particular targeted.

But it was the classic Fijian attacking flair that was the standout moment in the opening half as passes out of the tackle cut England's defence open for Muntz to touch down.

The winger sharply finished 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 given a yellow card following a video review.

The English team pulled away from Australia last Saturday in the final quarter through the power of their replacements that contained multiple Lions tourists.

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

However, after a clever line-out move was finished by the Fijian, the coach introduced five of his bench on the 54th minute – featuring Lions players Henry Pollock and Curry.

With the game still in the balance, Fiji scrum-half Kuruvoli fumbled of the ball when reaching for the goal line to negate replacement the hooker's score.

Flanker Earl, who scored versus the Wallabies, produced a stunning game-saving stop to keep a narrow lead between the teams.

It capped another outstanding overall performance by Earl, who received back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

The substitute's speed to chase down a grubber kick demonstrated exactly why the English replacements is so influential.

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

Considering Scotland ran New Zealand close, the English team will feel confident of making a big statement this weekend.

Should they win, 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)