England ended their five-Test losing run in emphatic fashion, thrashing Fiji 73-8 at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Henry Pollock scored a hat-trick, while debutants Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Noah Caluori also crossed as Steve Borthwick's side ran in 11 tries.
Dominant display from the start
England bounced back from their 45-21 defeat to South Africa with a clinical performance. Fiji were overwhelmed from the outset, with their defence and set-piece proving particularly weak. Marcus Smith opened the scoring after a kind bounce off the corner flag, and Jamie George was driven over by the pack shortly after.
Fin Smith, named man of the match, was the focal point of England's attack, kicking for touch at every opportunity to launch the line-out maul. The scrum and maul dominance softened Fiji up, allowing England to produce some eye-catching tries.
Fiji's struggles compounded by red card
Fiji trailed 35-3 when Simione Kuruvoli was sent off for kicking Ellis Genge in first-half overtime. South African-born Van Rensburg scored just 218 seconds after coming on as an HIA replacement for Henry Slade, three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.
Fiji's first meaningful attack did not arrive until early in the second half, resulting in a try for Tevita Ikanivere. But England quickly restored their authority, with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso diving over in the corner after quick hands.
Second-half onslaught
Pollock won the foot race for Ben Earl's grubber kick, Slade slid over, and then 19-year-old rookie Caluori touched down in the 65th minute. Pollock's pace and Slade's vision set up England's 10th score, and as full-time approached, Pollock completed his hat-trick in the closing seconds.
Relieved of their losing run, England head to Argentina for the climax to their July tour with renewed purpose. The Pumas at Santiago del Estero will prove a far sterner test than Fiji, who have given England problems in recent years, including their seismic upset in 2023.
