England Earns 9th Straight Win Over Physical Fiji

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 notched four second-half tries to beat a tough Fiji side in their latest autumn international.

The victory continues Steve Borthwick's side's undefeated streak to nine games and backs up their triumph over Australia last Saturday.

England got on the board first through hooker Cowan-Dickie before the visitors responded with tries by Ikanivere and Caleb Muntz.

Number ten the Fijian playmaker missed both conversions but slotted a penalty goal to take the Fijians further ahead before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored.

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

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

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

Skipper Maro Itoje, who also came off the bench, secured the last touchdown.

Borthwick's side now meet New Zealand next Saturday in their biggest challenge theoretically this autumn.

Prior to this encounter, England had claimed victory in eight of their nine games with the Fijian side – most recently taking 30-24 in the quarter-finals of the last global tournament.

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

With Fiji on a five-match winning run – their joint longest run since 1999 – the game was always expected to be hard-fought.

After slick phase play, number eight Cunningham-South made good ground before the hooker forced his way over for the opening score from short distance, with the Fijian's score off the back of a driving maul providing a quick response.

Known as the flying Fijians, that was apparent in defense through monstrous opening period midfield hits, with number fifteen Smith, deployed as a second playmaker, in especial targeted.

But it was the classic Fijian attacking flair that was the highlight in the first forty as passes out of the tackle sliced through the English defense for the fly-half to score.

The winger expertly collected a cross-field kick by Smith to take England ahead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Selestino Ravutaumada, who was awarded a sin-binning following a video review.

The English team broke clear from Australia last Saturday in the last twenty minutes through the strength of their bench that included six British and Irish Lions.

A significantly altered starting XV from the win over the Wallabies did grab the following touchdown as the prop crossed following a powerful run by Ollie Lawrence, who was making his international comeback after tearing his Achilles tendon against the Italians in March.

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

With the match still in the balance, Fijian number nine the halfback lost control of the ball when reaching for the goal line to negate substitute the hooker's score.

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

It topped off another outstanding overall display by Earl, who received consecutive man of the match honors.

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

It is packed with stars and quality, which has aided in victories in the final quarter that were lost versus the Wallabies and New Zealand the previous fall.

Given Scotland ran New Zealand close, Borthwick's side will feel confident of making a big statement this weekend.

Should they win, the substitutes will likely 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)