England Claims Ninth 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

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

This win continues Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine matches and follows up their triumph over Australia last Saturday.

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

Number ten Muntz missed both conversions but kicked a penalty goal to take the Fijians further ahead before Feyi-Waboso crossed.

Ellis Genge and the Fijian hooker then exchanged tries to spark an exciting final forty minutes.

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

These tries came around Fijian halfback Simi Kuruvoli fumbling the ball when attempting to score.

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

The English team now face the All Blacks next Saturday in their biggest challenge on paper this fall.

Prior to this meeting, England had won eight of their 9 games with Fiji – most lately winning a close contest in the quarter-finals of the last global tournament.

That one defeat came just weeks before the tournament in Europe and was a significant shift under the head coach.

With Fiji on a five-game streak – their joint longest streak since the late nineties – the game was always likely to be hard-fought.

Following slick phase play, number eight Cunningham-South gained valuable meters before the hooker barged over for the opening score from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a driving maul adding a swift reply.

Known as the flying Fijians, that was clear in defence through powerful first-half tackles in the center, with number fifteen Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in particular picked out.

But it was the vintage attacking Fijian flare that was the highlight in the opening half as passes out of the tackle sliced through the English defense for Muntz to touch down.

The winger expertly collected a cross-field kick by Smith to take the hosts into the lead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Ravutaumada, who was given a yellow card following a bunker review.

The English team broke clear from the Wallabies the previous weekend in the final quarter through the strength of their replacements that contained six British and Irish Lions.

A much-changed starting lineup from the victory over the Wallabies did grab the following touchdown as the prop crossed following a powerful run by Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after tearing his Achilles tendon against Italy in spring.

However, after a clever line-out move was completed by the Fijian, the coach introduced several of his substitutes on the 54th minute – including Lions tourists Henry Pollock and Tom Curry.

With the game still up for grabs, Fiji scrum-half Kuruvoli lost control of the ball when stretching for the tryline to negate replacement George's try.

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

It capped another all-round impressive performance by the flanker, who picked up back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

Arundell's pace to race on to a grubber kick showcased exactly why England's bench is so influential.

It is full of stars and quality, which has aided in wins in the closing stages that were squandered 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 this weekend.

Should they win, 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)