🔗 Share this article England Secures 9th Straight 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 notched four second-half tries to defeat a resilient Fiji side in their second fall test match. This win continues the English team's undefeated streak to nine games and follows up their win over the Wallabies the previous weekend. The home side opened the scoring through Luke Cowan-Dickie before Fiji responded with scores by Ikanivere and Muntz. Number ten Muntz missed both conversions but slotted a penalty to take the Fijians further clear before Feyi-Waboso crossed. Ellis Genge and the Fijian hooker then exchanged tries to spark an exciting second half. Substitutes George and Henry Arundell, who showed his scintillating pace, touched down to take the English side into a comfortable lead. These tries came either side of Fiji scrum-half Kuruvoli fumbling the ball when going for the tryline. Skipper Itoje, who also came off the bench, grabbed the last touchdown. The English team now meet New Zealand next Saturday in their toughest test on paper this autumn. The Fijians Start Fast to Challenge England Before this encounter, England had claimed victory in 8 of their 9 games with Fiji – most lately winning a close contest in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup. That one defeat came two months prior the tournament in France and was a significant shift under Borthwick. With Fiji on a five-match winning run – their joint longest run since the late nineties – the fixture was always likely to be hard-fought. After smooth attacking phases, number eight Chandler 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 providing a swift reply. Nicknamed the flying Fijians, that was evident in defense through monstrous first-half midfield hits, with number fifteen Marcus Smith, used as a additional playmaker, in especial picked out. But it was the classic attacking Fijian flare that was the highlight in the opening half as offloads cut England's defence open for the fly-half to score. The winger sharply finished a kick across the field by Fin Smith to take the hosts ahead after he had been illegally challenged in the air by Ravutaumada, who was awarded a yellow card following a bunker review. The English Impact Substitutes Delivers Again The English team pulled away from the Wallabies last Saturday in the final quarter through the power of their bench that included multiple British and Irish Lions. A significantly altered starting lineup from the win over the Wallabies did score the following touchdown as the prop crossed following a strong carry by Lawrence, who was returning to the national side after tearing his Achilles versus the Italians in March. Nonetheless, after a smart set piece was finished by the Fijian, the coach introduced several of his substitutes on the 54th minute – featuring Lions players Pollock and Tom Curry. With the match still in the balance, Fijian number nine the halfback lost control of the ball when stretching for the goal line to negate replacement the hooker's score. Flanker Earl, a try-scorer versus the Wallabies, produced a stunning game-saving stop to maintain a narrow lead between the sides. It topped off another outstanding overall performance by the flanker, who picked up consecutive man of the match honors. The substitute's speed to chase down a grubber kick showcased exactly why England's bench is so impactful. It is packed with top players and quality, which has helped secure victories in the closing stages that were lost against Australia and the All Blacks last autumn. Given Scotland pushed the All Blacks hard, the English team will feel confident of making a big statement this weekend. Should they win, the substitutes will likely play another key factor. Team Sheets 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 Refereeing Team Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand) Assistant referee: Luc Ramos (France) and Katsuki Furuse (Japan) Television match official: Mike Adamson (Scotland)