England's Power Play Seals Convincing Victory Over Fiji
In a display of sheer dominance, the England rugby team extended their winning streak to an impressive nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday. While the match was fiercely contested in the first half, England's superior bench strength ultimately proved decisive, mirroring their performance from the previous weekend's win against Australia.
First-Half Battle Sets the Stage
The game kicked off with immediate action as hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie powered over the line for the opening try after just seven minutes of play. Fin SmithTevita Ikanivere scoring a try just four minutes later, though fly-half Caleb Muntz missed the conversion.
The visitors continued to press, and Muntz redeemed himself by finishing a brilliant team move with a 23rd-minute try, though he again failed to convert. He did, however, land a 27-metre penalty. The momentum shifted when Fiji's Selestino Ravutaumada received a yellow card in the 35th minute for a dangerous aerial challenge on Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. England capitalized on their numerical advantage just before halftime, with Feyi-Waboso collecting a superb cross-kick from Smith and scoring in the corner. Smith's conversion gave England a narrow 14-13 lead at the break.
Second-Half Surge and Decisive Impact
The second half began with Fiji closing the gap to 21-18, but England quickly reasserted control. A powerful burst from centre Ollie Lawrence led to a try from co-captain Ellis Genge in the 49th minute. Fiji hit back with Ikanivere's second try, but Muntz's kicking woes continued as he missed the conversion.
Coach Borthwick's decision to bring on a raft of replacement forwards, including a completely new front row, began to pay dividends. The pressure intensified when Fiji was again reduced to 14 men after Josua Tuisova was yellow-carded. Replacement hooker Jamie George then crashed over from a driving maul, and despite a missed conversion from Smith, England led 26-18.
A potential Fiji comeback was thwarted when a try from Simione Kuruvoli was disallowed for a knock-on. England sealed the match with two late tries, first from the blisteringly fast Henry Arundell and a final, powerful score from Maro Itoje off the bench with five minutes remaining.
England's next challenge is a highly anticipated match against New Zealand, who narrowly defeated Scotland 25-17, while Fiji is set to face France.
