The English Team Earns 9th Consecutive Victory 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

England notched four tries after halftime to beat a physical Fiji side in their second autumn international.

The victory continues Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine matches and supports their win over the Wallabies the previous weekend.

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

Number ten Muntz failed to convert either try but slotted a penalty goal to take the Fijians further clear before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored.

Prop Genge and the Fijian hooker then traded scores to begin an exciting second half.

Substitutes George and Henry Arundell, who demonstrated his scintillating pace, finished off tries to take the English side clear.

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

Skipper Itoje, who also entered as a substitute, scored the final try.

The English team now face the All Blacks next Saturday in their toughest test on paper this autumn.

Prior to this meeting, England had won eight of their 9 matches with Fiji – most lately taking 30-24 in the last eight of the last global tournament.

That one defeat came two months prior the tournament in Europe and was a significant shift under the head coach.

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

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

Nicknamed the Flying Fijians, that was clear in defence through monstrous opening period midfield hits, with number fifteen Smith, deployed as a second playmaker, in particular targeted.

But it was the classic attacking Fijian flare that was the highlight in the first forty as offloads sliced through the English defense for the fly-half to touch down.

The winger sharply finished a cross-field kick by Smith to take England ahead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Selestino Ravutaumada, who was awarded a yellow card following a video review.

The English team pulled away from the Wallabies last Saturday in the final quarter through the power of their replacements that contained multiple British and Irish Lions.

A significantly altered starting lineup from the win over the Australians did score the following touchdown as Genge went over following a strong carry by Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after tearing his Achilles against the Italians in March.

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

With the match still up for grabs, Fijian number nine Kuruvoli lost control of the ball when stretching for the goal line to cancel out replacement the hooker's score.

Breakdown specialist Ben Earl, who scored versus the Wallabies, produced a stunning game-saving stop to keep a narrow lead between the sides.

It capped another all-round impressive performance by the flanker, who picked up consecutive man of the match honors.

The substitute's speed to race on to a grubber kick showcased exactly why England's bench is so influential.

It is full of top players and quality, which has helped secure victories in the final quarter that were squandered against Australia and the All Blacks the previous fall.

Given the Scottish side ran New Zealand close, the English team will fancy their chances of making a big statement this weekend.

Should they win, the substitutes will likely play another key factor.

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)