England secured a commanding victory over a disjointed Fiji side in Liverpool, putting an end to a frustrating run of five consecutive Test defeats. The hosts ran in 11 tries to secure their most significant margin of victory against the Pacific Islanders to date.
The match turned decisively in England’s favor when Fiji scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli received a straight red card for lashing out at Ellis Genge, leaving his team a man down for the second half. Taking full advantage, England surged ahead with impressive play, including an acrobatic effort from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and a dominant second-half hat-trick from replacement Henry Pollock. The crowd of 50,209 at Hill Dickinson Stadium also witnessed successful Test debuts from Benhard Janse van Rensburg and teenage prospect Noah Caluori, who both came off the bench to score.
While England performed clinically, Fiji struggled to maintain any defensive structure or attacking consistency. This display was a far cry from the competitiveness they demonstrated during their famous win at Twickenham in 2023 or their narrow encounter in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals. By failing to challenge the hosts, Fiji prevented England from recording a sixth straight loss, which would have represented the team’s worst form in two decades.
