Another win for England, their ninth in succession, but comfortable was definitely not the word for it. Only in the final quarter did the home side pull away on the scoreboard and, for lengthy periods, they had to work extremely hard for their second victory in as many weeks. They will definitely need to find another gear to see off next Saturday’s opponents New Zealand.
Equally there is no doubting the fact England are finishing games more strongly and have some rare talent lurking in reserve. This time it was their birthday boy, Henry Arundell, who shone brightest off the bench, scoring one scorching try and looking dangerous every time he touched the ball on his first appearance for England for two years.
It was also a good night to be English and hyphenated. Chandler Cunningham-South, Manny Feyi-Waboso and Luke Cowan-Dickie all had forceful games, with the latter pair claiming two of their side’s six tries. On a calm, mild evening in south-west London – not that the palm trees in Twickenham high street ever sway too wildly – Ollie Chessum was also prominently involved while Ellis Genge led purposefully from the front.
England M Smith; Freeman (Arundell 66), Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, Mitchell (Spencer 62); Genge (co-capt; Baxter 53), Cowan-Dickie (George 53), Heyes (Opoku-Fordjour 53), Coles (Itoje; co-capt 53), Chessum, Pepper (Pollock 53), Earl, Cunningham-South (T Curry 53).
Tries: Cowan-Dickie, Feyi-Waboso, Genge, George, Arundell, Itoje. Cons F Smith 4.
Fiji Rayasi; Ravutaumada, Ravouvou, Tuisova, Wainiqolo (Maqala 56); Muntz (Armstrong-Ravula 59), Kuruvoli (Wye 66); Mawi (Hetet 56), Ikanivere (capt; Togiatama 56), Doge (Tawake 56), Nasilasila (Vocevoce 65), Mayanavanua, Salawa, Canakaivata (Murray 61), Mata.
Yellow cards Ravutaumada 35, Tuisova 59.
Tries Ikanivere 2, Muntz. Pen Muntz.
Referee Paul Williams (NZ).
Att 78,678.
But rather like the pre-game minute’s silence, which was interspersed with a persistent automatic tannoy message blasting out of the stadium’s bowels, it was ultimately a mixed bag from an English perspective. This was a game they had earmarked as a chance for some experimentation but the physicality of a gallant Fiji side rudely interrupted some of Steve Borthwick’s best-laid plans, not least the search for his ideal backline blend.
There is little doubt George Ford will get the nod at 10 against New Zealand but, as with the All Blacks and the talented duo of Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie, Borthwick still has one or two conundrums to solve. Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Lawrence were not always in perfect harmony in England’s midfield while Arundell’s electric contribution will reopen the debate about the future shape of the back three. Freddie Steward is fit again but the Bath flyer may yet emerge as a better long-term starting option at 15 than the versatile Marcus Smith.
It all made for a thought-provoking evening with Fiji again doing themselves proud. Replicating their famous win in this stadium in August 2023 was never going to be easy but, after an early score for a charging Cowan-Dickie, the visitors built some impressive first-half momentum. First a well-engineered rolling maul produced a try for the skipper Tevita Ikanivere and England then fell victim to one of those uniquely unplayable Fijian attacks that remain their hallmark.
There had already been some glorious passing before the scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli chipped the English defence and was taken down without the ball by Marcus Smith. In the event Fiji did not need the advantage, Caleb Muntz gathering the bouncing ball and just reaching the line despite Ben Earl’s desperate tackle.
With a subsequent penalty by Muntz extending the visitors’ lead to 13-7 just before the half-hour mark, Fiji simply needed to keep calm and carry on. It was less than ideal, then, when the winger Selestino Ravutaumada was given a yellow card for clattering Feyi-Waboso in the air and England took swift advantage of their extra man when Fin Smith lobbed a cross-kick to an unmarked Feyi-Waboso who cut inside to score. Smith’s conversion restored the red rose lead and settled a few fluttering home nerves.
Genge’s 49th-minute try, rewarding a multi-phase attack, fell into the same category and extended England’s lead to 21-13. Fiji, though, stick in games for much longer these days. Six of the pack, plus all their forward replacements, play Super Rugby for the Fijian Drua and one of them, Ikanivere, plunged over for his second try after a crafty front-of-the-lineout ploy.
Only Muntz’s recurring failure to land a conversion prevented the scoreboard gap from narrowing further, while a yellow card for the formidable Josua Tuisova was another untimely blow. England were lucky, though, that a quite brilliant 50-metre team score by Fiji was ultimately ruled out for the smallest of knock-ons by a sliding Kuruvoli, which the Fiji coach Mick Byrne felt could have been awarded.
Instead it was the hosts who finished the stronger, helped by a stunning burst of pace from Arundell who surged past a startled Kalaveti Ravouvou to collect a Marcus Smith kick and celebrate his 23rd birthday in style. His exile in the French Top 14 has ruled him out of England contention for the last season and a half but he has now reminded everyone exactly what he can do. Maro Itoje, another influential second-half arrival, applied the icing with England’s sixth try but the All Blacks, as ever, will present the ultimate autumn Test.
