The English Team Secures Ninth Straight Win Against Tough Fiji

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 four tries after halftime to defeat a tough Fijian team in their second fall test match.

The victory lengthens Steve Borthwick's side's winning run to nine matches and supports their triumph over the Wallabies last Saturday.

England opened the scoring through Luke Cowan-Dickie before Fiji answered back with scores by Ikanivere and Muntz.

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

Ellis Genge and the Fijian hooker then exchanged tries to ignite an thrilling final forty minutes.

Replacements Jamie George and Arundell, who showed his scintillating pace, finished off tries to take the English side clear.

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

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

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

Prior to this match, the English team had claimed victory in eight of their nine games with Fiji – most lately 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 the Pacific Islanders on a five-game streak – their joint longest run since the late nineties – the fixture was always likely to be hard-fought.

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

Nicknamed the flying Fijians, that was clear in defense through powerful opening period tackles in the center, with number fifteen Marcus Smith, deployed as a second playmaker, in particular picked out.

But it was the classic Fijian attacking flair that was the standout moment in the opening half as passes out of the tackle sliced through the English defense for Muntz to touch down.

Feyi-Waboso expertly collected a cross-field kick by Smith to take England into the lead after he had been dangerously taken out in the air by Ravutaumada, who was awarded a yellow card following a video review.

England pulled away from the Wallabies the previous weekend in the final quarter through the power of their bench that contained multiple British and Irish Lions.

A significantly altered starting lineup from the win over the Australians did grab the next try as Genge crossed following a strong carry by Ollie Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after suffering his Achilles tendon versus Italy in spring.

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

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

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

It topped off another all-round impressive performance by the flanker, who received back-to-back man of the match honors.

Arundell's pace to chase down a kick through demonstrated exactly why the English replacements is so influential.

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

Considering Scotland pushed the All Blacks hard, Borthwick's side will feel confident of sending a message next week.

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)