Henry Arundell Scorches Away To Help England Finish Off Battling Fiji

Another triumph for England, their ninth successful succession, but nan connection comfortable is decidedly not applicable. Only successful nan last 4th did nan location broadside propulsion distant connected nan scoreboard and, for lengthy periods, they were made to activity highly difficult for their 2nd triumph successful arsenic galore weeks. They will decidedly request to find different cogwheel to spot disconnected adjacent Saturday’s opponents New Zealand.

Equally location is nary doubting nan truth England are finishing games much powerfully and person immoderate uncommon talent lurking successful reserve. This clip it was their day boy, Henry Arundell, who shone brightest disconnected nan bench, scoring 1 scorching effort and looking vulnerable each clip he touched nan shot connected his first quality for England for 2 years.

It was besides a bully nighttime to beryllium English and hyphenated. Chandler Cunningham-South, Manny Feyi-Waboso and Luke Cowan-Dickie each had forceful games, pinch nan second brace claiming 2 of their side’s six tries. On a calm, mild evening successful south-west London – not that nan thenar trees successful Twickenham precocious thoroughfare ever sway excessively wildly – Ollie Chessum was besides prominently progressive while Ellis Genge led purposefully from nan front.

But alternatively for illustration nan pre-game minute’s silence, which was interspersed pinch a persistent automatic tannoy connection blasting retired of nan stadium’s bowels, it was yet a mixed container from an English perspective. This was a crippled they had earmarked arsenic a chance for immoderate experimentation but nan physicality of a gallant Fiji broadside rudely interrupted immoderate of Steve Borthwick’s best-laid plans, not slightest nan hunt for his perfect backline blend.

Maro Itoje dives complete to seal England’s triumph against Fiji. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

It has besides taken New Zealand a while to fig retired really champion to accommodate nan talents of Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie successful nan aforesaid squad and Borthwick has intelligibly been pondering really to fresh Marcus Smith into nan operation alongside his different 2 fly-halves George Ford and Fin Smith.

There is small uncertainty Ford will get nan motion astatine 10 against New Zealand but Marcus Smith’s wished early tackle connected nan bigger, stronger Kalaveti Ravouvou underlined his rivals’ desire to overturn managerial assumptions. Fiji, similarly, needed to pierce nan location fans’ aerial of complacency, conscionable arsenic they had managed to do connected their last sojourn to this stadium successful August 2023.

Replicating that celebrated triumph was ne'er going to beryllium easy but, aft an early people for a charging Cowan-Dickie, nan visitors began to build immoderate awesome momentum. First a well-engineered rolling maul produced a effort for skipper Tevita Ikanivere and England past fell unfortunate to 1 of those uniquely unplayable Fijian attacks that stay their hallmark.

There had already been immoderate glorious passing earlier scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli chipped nan English defence and was taken down without nan shot by Marcus Smith. In nan arena Fiji did not request nan advantage, Caleb Muntz gathering nan bouncing shot and conscionable reaching nan statement contempt Ben Earl’s hopeless tackle.

With a consequent punishment by Muntz extending nan visitors’ lead to 13-7 conscionable earlier nan half-hour mark, Fiji simply needed to support calm and transportation on. It was little than ideal, then, erstwhile winger Selestino Ravutaumada was yellowish carded for clattering Feyi-Waboso successful nan aerial and England took swift advantage of their other man erstwhile Fin Smith lobbed a cross-kick to an unmarked Feyi-Waboso who trim wrong to score. Smith’s conversion restored nan reddish roseate lead and settled a fewer fluttering location nerves.

Ellis Genge’s 49th-minute try, rewarding a multi-phase attack, fell into nan aforesaid class and extended England’s lead to 21-13. Fiji, though, instrumentality successful games for overmuch longer these days. Six of nan pack, positive each their guardant replacements, play Super Rugby for nan Fijian Drua and 1 of them, Ikanivere, plunged complete for his 2nd effort aft a crafty front-of-the-lineout ploy.

Only Muntz’s recurring nonaccomplishment to onshore a conversion prevented nan scoreboard spread from narrowing further, while a yellowish paper for nan formidable Josua Tuisova was different untimely blow. England were lucky, though, that a rather superb 50-metre squad people by Fiji was yet ruled retired for nan smallest of knock-ons by a sliding Kuruvoli.

Instead it was nan hosts who vanished nan stronger, helped by a stunning burst of gait from Arundell who surged past a startled Ravouvou to cod a Marcus Smith footwear and observe his 23rd day successful style. Maro Itoje applied nan icing pinch England’s sixth effort but nan All Blacks will airs nan eventual autumn Test.