Fiji 8-66 England: Fiji rue losing runs as Henry Pollock takes hat-trick to beat England

Nations Championship – Round Two

Fiji (3) 8

Try: ecanives, pen: Muntz

England (35) 73

Try: M Smith, George, Pepper, Janse van Rensburg, Atkinson, Fay-Waboso, Pollock (3), Slade, Caluri Disadvantages: F Smith (9)

Substitute Henry Pollock scored a second-half hat-trick as England cruised to victory and ended a five-Test losing streak against a disorganized and disorganized Fiji in Liverpool.

Playing against 14 men for half the match after scrum-half Simeon Kuruvoli was shown a straight red for kicking out Ellis Genge, England went on a run to their biggest win over Fiji.

Emmanuel Faye-Waboso’s acrobatic finish down the left wing and Pollock’s treble, all celebrated in style, drew loud cheers from the 50,209-strong crowd at Hill Dickinson Stadium after the break.

Elsewhere, Bristol’s South African-born center Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Saracens’ teenage wing sensation Noah Calluri tried their Test debuts from the bench.

England were comprehensive winners as the scoreline suggested, but the value of the win has to be assessed against the backdrop of Fiji’s performance.

The Pacific Islands famously beat England at Twickenham in August 2023 and came close to doing so again a few weeks later when the teams met in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup.

When they met in the autumn, during England’s winning streak, Fiji were within three points on the hour, before fading to a 38-18 defeat.

This edition, however, did not look to have the consistency and cohesion to condemn England to a sixth Test defeat in a row – a run of form that would have been their worst in 20 years.

More to follow

Fiji: radius; Young, young, Tuisova, wine; Muntz, Crowley; Bam, Canvas, Doge, Ratuva, Nazirasila, Yato, Bam, Botia

Replacements: Matavesi, Matave, Ravai, Mayanavanua, Kanakivata, Sovakula, Lomani, Armstrong-Ravula

England: M Smith; Freeman, Slade, Atkinson, Faye-Waboso; F Smith, Van Portviet; Genge, George, Hayes, Coles, Martin, Chesham, Pepper, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordzor, Kloska, Curry, Pollock, Mitchell, Janse van Rensburg, Kaluri.