England vs Fiji LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Pacific Islanders secure historic win
England take on Fiji at Twickenham in their final Rugby World Cup warm-up fixture
England hit a new low ahead of the Rugby World Cup after suffering a first ever defeat to Fiji.
The Pacific Islanders were deserved 30-22 winners on a stormy afternoon at Twickenham, thriving in testing conditions as England were beaten for the first time by a Tier Two nation.
It was a day where little went right for England after a bright start, with Steve Borthwick’s side struggling at the set piece and failing to consistently trouble a physical, accurate visiting defence.
Selestino Ravutaumada and Waisea Nayacalevu were among the stars in Fijian white as they danced to 27 second half points on a famous day for Pacific Island rugby.
And Simon Raiwalui’s team, who were missing Levani Botia and Josua Tuisova, must surely now be considered contenders to make a semi final at least at the tournament in France, with Wales, Australia and Georgia all eminently beatable in Pool C.
Borthwick and England, meanwhile, will head to their World Cup training base in Le Touquet on Thursday having won just once in their last six games.
England open their Pool D efforts against Argentina on Saturday 9 September.
Follow all the latest from England vs Fiji below.
Courtney Lawes credits Eddie Jones for helping him to 100 England caps
Courtney Lawes credits Eddie Jones for giving his career a second wind as he prepares to joins the ranks of England’s Test centurions.
Lawes leads England into Saturday’s World Cup send-off against Fiji at Twickenham playing for the head coach – Steve Borthwick – who was also his captain when he made his debut against Australia in 2009.
The 34-year-old back row warrior has shown tenacity to overcome a host of significant injuries, but his reinvention from defensive hitman to model blindside flanker was not reward for his efforts alone.
First inspired by Northampton forwards coach Dorian West as he was finding his feet as an 18-year-old second row, it was not until Eddie Jones took charge of England in 2015 that his game evolved again.
“In my early days it was Dorian West who had the biggest impact. I say that begrudgingly because he’ll love that!” Lawes said.
“Dorian was a big influence on me, helping me get that bit of edge and to become a tough player. He really built that into me. Then later on it was definitely Eddie.
“When I stopped progressing as a player he was the one who came in and really gave me the boot to push me on to be the player I could be. And I’m very thankful for that.
“He dropped me first, but then he gave me a couple of ultimatums that I took away and worked at.
“He told me I needed to keep hitting people and I needed to carry better, become the ball-carrier I was when I was younger.”
Courtney Lawes credits Eddie Jones for helping him to 100 England caps
The 34-year-old back row warrior has shown tenacity to overcome a host of significant injuries.
Kevin Sinfield says England’s pre-World Cup setbacks are bringing squad together
Kevin Sinfield insists England have remained united despite being buffeted by multiple setbacks before the World Cup has even begun.
Fiji’s visit to Twickenham on Saturday completes a warm-up campaign that has seen England’s record deteriorate to four defeats in five matches, leaving them bereft of form ahead of their pivotal Pool D clash with Argentina on September 9.
Some of the challenges facing Steve Borthwick’s men – such as the bans for high tackles issued to Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola – have been of their own making, but injury has struck too.
Anthony Watson has followed Jack van Poortvliet out of the original 33-man squad named by Borthwick and there are concerns over two more frontline stars in Tom Curry and Elliot Daly.
Sinfield insists that despite the adversity, England’s squad is showing no signs of splintering into cliques.
“We were a tight group already, but how you handle those setbacks and those obstacles are really important to how the team moves forward and how the team functions,” defence coach Sinfield said.
“After each one of those blows – if you call them that – we’ve got back up and gone again. We’ll continue to do that. These obstacles will continue to bring us closer together.
Kevin Sinfield says England’s pre-World Cup setbacks are bringing squad together
Injury has cost Anthony Watson and Jack van Poortvliet their World Cup places, while Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola are banned for the opener.
Centres of attention
I’m pretty certain this is England’s heaviest ever starting centre partnership, with Manu Tuilagi and Ollie Lawrence paired together for the first time and offering all sorts of direct threat. It’s hard not to get excited about the damage they might be able to do, though England will be concerned about the lack of distributing hands in their backline.
Lawrence is better in that regard than one might initially assume, and I’d expect to see Max Malins roaming a lot to provide linking fingers and feet, but Fiji will know what England’s primary plan of attack might be.
Fiji’s centre duo aren’t half bad, either. Semi Radradra and Waisea Nayacalevu would both confess to being more comfortable at 13 and I’d expect them to interchange plenty, two ridiculous athletes who have also become really intelligent decision-makers. Caleb Muntz still has developing to do at fly half but he’s got the right men alongside him, and Fiji will surely test the lateral mobility of England’s centres.
Can Simon Raiwalui mastermind a Fiji shock?
Simon Raiwalui was installed as head coach earlier this year after Vern Cotter’s abrupt departure in February. There are few more respected figures in Fijian rugby than the former lock, who travelled the world as a player and has experience in a number of coaching set-ups and club structures since retiring.
He’s made a real impact with this Fijian squad, too, shrewdly opting to build around a spine from the Fijian Drua. The club’s introduction to Super Rugby Pacific has provided Fiji’s domestic-based players with consistent, competitive action, which has built real continuity over the last couple of years. The World Cup may come slightly too soon for the full impact of the Drua’s development to show, but their set piece really solidified this season and a new group of leaders are starting to step up, which has helped Raiwalui build his national team into one that genuinely believes they can make a deep tournament run.
“He’s had a massive impact on us as a coach,” lock Isoa Nasilasila said of Raiwalui yesterday. “Not only as a coach, but someone we can look to for advice. He’s been all around the globe, [played in] France and England. He gives us a lot of tips and advice in how to handle ourselves. He’s great in the coaching aspect, too.
“[Our game] has definitely evolved. We are trying to get the technicalities of something in there, not just go to the backs or offload. We are trying to build something first and then play from there. It’s definitely evolved a lot over the last few years.”
Kyle Sinckler emerges as World Cup doubt
In another bit of bad news for the RFU, today’s Twickenham programme cover star is Kyle Sinckler, out of this game with a pectoral problem and perhaps a doubt for the World Cup, too. England insist they are confident that the tighthead will be fit for their opener against Argentina but it is worth remembering that Sinckler hasn’t started at all this summer, and the prop can sometimes be a player who needs time to work up to full form.
I think, ideally, England would have liked Will Stuart to really seize the three shirt having given him starts in the all three warm-ups so far, but the Bath front rower struggled in Dublin last weekend and might have fallen back down the pecking order.
It makes today surprisingly big for Dan Cole, starting for the first time since England’s pool stage encounter with the USA at the last World Cup. England might usually expect to dominate Fiji at scrum time but Eroni Mawi has honed his scrummaging skills with Saracens over the last couple of seasons, and Luke Tagi can anchor well on the tighthead. I still think England may try to play conservatively and grind their visitors down, but if Fiji can retain set-piece parity, England will really have to look out.
May day
The problems just continue to come for England, with Anthony Watson’s injury a bitter blow for a player who has had to deal with plenty of strife over the last couple of years, and, of course, for Steve Borthwick, with Watson surely having been inked in as one of his wing World Cup starters.
To further complicate matters, both Elliot Daly and Henry Arundell are currently dealing with injuries – the latter was staggering about like an ageing prop forward at England’s captain’s run yesterday as he tries to fight off what has been described as a “freak back spasm”.
Enter, then, Jonny May, who we expect to be confirmed as Watson’s replacement in the World Cup squad on Sunday or Monday having been in and around England camp over the last few weeks since missing out on the initial 33. Joe Cokanasiga and Guy Porter have also been involved in training this week but you can understand why the Gloucester wing was Borthwick’s first mayday call, the 33-year-old’s professionalism and meticulous preparation often picked out as an example to younger players by his coaches.
That said, May has had a rough old run, with a knee injury compounded by contracting Covid on England’s tour of Australia last summer, and the wing hasn’t perhaps found top gear at club level for a little while. Having been presented with an unexpected opportunity to impress ahead of the tournament, May will be keen to produce a good showing against a talented, but inexperienced, Fijian back three today.
Team News – Fiji
Fiji are without a couple of stars in flanker Levani Botia and Josua Tuisova, and prop Peni Ravai is also a significant absentee. There is plenty of quality in Simon Rawailui’s group, though, with Semi Radradra and skipper Waisea Nayacelevu offering a varied midfield threat outside of young fly half Caleb Muntz.
Albert Tuisue and Viliame Mata will shoulder much of the ball carrying burden from the back row, while Selestino Ravutaumada has enjoyed a strong first summer in international rugby and gets another opportunity to impress on the wing.
Fiji XV: Eroni Mawi, Sam Matavesi (co-capt.), Luke Tagi; Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, Isoa Nasilasila; Albert Tuisue, Lekima Tagitagivalu, Viliame Mata; Frank Lomani, Caleb Muntz; Vinaya Habosi, Semi Radradra, Waisea Nayacalevu (co-capt.), Selestino Ravutaumada; Ilaisa Droasese.
Replacements: Zuriel Togitama, Jone Koroiduadua, Samu Tawaka, Temo Mayanavanua, Vilive Miramira; Simione Kuruvoli, Teti Tela, Kalaveti Ravouvou.
Team News – England
News of Anthony Watson’s injury comes as another major blow for England ahead of the World Cup, Jonny May has been called in to the starting side as cover with Elliot Daly (knee) and Henry Arundell (back) also absent this weekend, though Steve Borthwick is confident both will be fit for the tournament. In Billy Vunipola’s absence, Ben Earl slides across from the openside with Jack Willis promoted to the starting back row.
That trio is completed by Courtney Lawes, captaining his country on the occasion of his 100th cap, while there are first international starts for Theo Dan and Alex Mitchell at hooker and scrum half respectively. Manu Tuilagi joins Ollie Lawrence in a power-packed midfield.
England XV: Ellis Genge, Theo Dan, Dan Cole; Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum; Courtney Lawes (capt.), Jack Willis, Ben Earl; Alex Mitchell, George Ford; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Ollie Lawrence, Max Malins; Freddie Steward.
Replacements: Jack Walker, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, David Ribbans, Lewis Ludlam; Danny Care, Marcus Smith, Joe Marchant.
England vs Fiji
One last warm-up, then, for England and Fiji with less than a fortnight until the World Cup begins. Twickenham was a sea of South African green last night, with South Africa laying down a signficant pre-World Cup statement with a record victory over New Zealand on an evening where very little went right for the All Blacks.
We’re not expecting nearly as many in today, with train strikes playing a part, but this could still be a lot of fun, with Fiji surely fancying themselves with England in a mess. Let’s check in on the two sides...
England have never been less prepared as they face final Rugby World Cup warm-up
Perhaps England fans are starting to vote with their feet. There are mitigating circumstances as to why Twickenham may not be particularly close to full for England’s final World Cup warm-up match against Fiji – train strikes, the continuing cost of living crisis and rather more appetising Friday night fare among them – but certainly the Rugby Football Union (RFU) would have preferred a few more to RSVP to England’s leaving do.
A celebratory send-off this will surely not be. Regardless of the result this weekend, England will head to their World Cup training base in Le Touquet next Thursday never worse prepared for a tournament. Even the most ardent of supporters and most optimistic of analysts are reaching for glimmers out of the darkness within which Steve Borthwick’s side seem to be consumed. If these four warm-up matches were meant to leave enough runway to build momentum ahead of the tournament, then England have, true to this squandered four-year cycle, careered most definitely off course.
England have never been less prepared as they face final Rugby World Cup warm-up
England find themselves in a mess with just one warm-up game against Fiji remaining
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