England take on Fiji this afternoon in their second fixture of the inaugural Nations Championship, desperate to avoid a sixth consecutive defeat. Steve Borthwick's side were thrashed 45-21 by South Africa in their opener, and the pressure is mounting ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Match Details and Venue
The match kicks off at 2:10pm BST (1:10am Sunday in Fiji) at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. Despite being a 'home' game for Fiji, it is held in the UK because their Suva stadium does not meet requirements and for commercial reasons.
How to Watch
Coverage begins at 1:20pm BST on ITV1, free-to-air. A live stream is available via ITVX with registration. The game is also covered in Standard Sport's live blog.
Team News and Debutants
Borthwick makes two changes to the starting XV: Henry Slade replaces the injured Cadan Murley at centre, and Guy Pepper comes in for Tom Curry at openside flanker. Three players are set for their first England caps off the bench: Benhard Janse van Rensburg (eligible after five years in England), Saracens teenager Noah Caluori, and Bristol tighthead George Kloska. Marcus Smith continues at fullback after George Furbank's appendicitis.
Fiji interim coach Senirusi Seruvakula makes nine changes, including starts for Levani Botia and Peceli Yato in a new-look back row. Caleb Muntz starts at fly-half, with Simione Kuruvoli at scrum-half.
Head-to-Head Record
England have won nine of ten previous meetings, including a 38-18 victory in 2025 and a 30-24 win in the 2023 World Cup quarter-final. Fiji's only win came in a 30-22 warm-up fixture before that tournament.
Prediction and Odds
England are heavy favourites at 1/14, with Fiji at 8/1. Despite their recent struggles, England are expected to win by around 14 points, leveraging Fiji's inconsistency at the set-piece.
