Henry Arundell delivered a moment of pure brilliance to secure England a hard-fought 38-18 victory against a determined Fiji side at Allianz Stadium on Saturday 08 November 2025. The win keeps England's pursuit of an unbeaten autumn international series firmly on track.
A Closely Contested Battle
Despite being the lowest-ranked opponents on England's autumn schedule, Fiji presented a far greater threat than Australia had managed the previous week. The Islanders, chasing a repeat of their seismic 2023 World Cup upset at the same venue, demonstrated their ability to strike from anywhere on the pitch.
The match remained intensely competitive until the 69th minute, when Henry Arundell showcased his searing pace to score the crucial try. The Bath wing, available for selection again after returning home from French club Racing 92, latched onto a clever grubber from Marcus Smith to finally break Fiji's resistance.
Key Moments and Turning Points
England made an impressive start with Luke Cowan-Dickie crossing for a try in the seventh minute. However, Fiji responded powerfully, with hooker Tevita Ikanivere scoring from a maul before Caleb Muntz finished a spectacular team move to give the visitors a 13-7 lead.
The momentum shifted when Fiji wing Selesitino Ravutaumada received a yellow card for taking Immanuel Feyi-Waboso out in the air. England capitalised immediately, with Fin Smith kicking to space for Feyi-Waboso to gather and score.
After half-time, Ellis Genge extended England's lead following a thrilling counter-attack led by Ollie Lawrence. Although Ikanivere scored his second try for Fiji, the Islanders immediately came under pressure, resulting in Josua Tuisova being sent to the sin-bin for offside.
Closing Out the Victory
England's forward dominance became increasingly apparent, with captain Jamie George powering over from a maul. After surviving a scare when Simione Kuruvoli lost control of the ball over the line, England produced the match's defining moment through Arundell's athletic finish.
Maro Itoje added a late try to give the scoreline a somewhat lopsided appearance that didn't fully reflect Fiji's competitive performance. The victory represents England's ninth successive win, their best run since the early days of the Eddie Jones era.
For Fiji, the defeat ended their pursuit of a national record sixth consecutive victory, though their performance confirmed their status as a growing force in world rugby.
