FULL TIME!
FIJI BEAT ENGLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!
Key occasions
“The coaching team have had the 6 nations and weeks of preparation with the Squad and are presenting the worst England team in decades.” ventures John Savile on England. “Other than maul or scrum they present no attacking threat. Abysmal performance and think of the poor supporters who pay for this dross”
I made a little bit of slip in my pleasure by typing that “England beat England”. Some may say this was true given how England ought to play vs what fetid fayre they’re spraying all around the pitch presently, however that isn’t the case.
This victory was attributable to an completely dominant second half from Fiji, and whereas there have been among the previous tropes on TV commentary about Fijian capacity and magnificence, that isn’t an correct abstract. This was a all-park efficiency, with a rock strong scrum, respectable set-piece and a splendidly composed show from Caleb Muntz alloyed with one of the best of Fiji’s distinctive capacity. This is an excellent rugby staff certainly.
The small gathering of Fiji followers erupt within the background because the whistle peeps. The gamers hug one another and kneel and pray in thanks for this seismic win of their rugby historical past.
Head Coach, Simon Raiwailui, within the stands seems quietly happy, as is that is no shock to him in any respect. Perhaps as a result of it isn’t.
FULL TIME!
FIJI BEAT ENGLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!
78 minutes. Fiji win the ball from a lineout on the house 10m line and begin to work phases that sap vitality, time and hope from England.
75 minutes. England have a go at saving the sport by driving into the 22, however the an Earl carry has him working away from his assist and that slight isolation permits Matavesi to clamp on and win an important, in all probability recreation profitable penalty.
TRY! England 22 – 30 Fiji (Simione Kuruvoli)
73 minutes. Ravataumada has the ball twice within the assault; firstly he drives about 10 metres whereas being tackled to place Fiji within the 22 and second he dances round May, steps inside and manages to pop it to Kuruvoli out of a deal with for the scrum-half to attain from just a few metres. He’s been has been an utter menace all recreation.
Muntz continues his wonderful day from the tee with the conversion.
70 minutes. Danny Care has changed Mitchell and the veteran’s first motion is to spill the kick off to present possession to Fiji on the 22.
TRY! England 22 – 23 Fiji (Joe Marchant)
68 minutes. Said maul is shaped and inches ahead however Fiji do sufficient to stall it and power Mitchell to play the ball. He flings it proper and Marchant, on for Malins, forces over within the nook by a deal with.
Ford converts from method out huge. Huge kick.
66 minutes. England are huffing and puffing across the Fiji 10 metre line, with the guests largely containing them earlier than they overcommit on the ruck to present away a penalty. Ford places it within the nook to ask a trademark lineout maul.
63 minutes. An overcooked Fiji lineout within the personal 22 has England again on the ball. They work it left earlier than Ford lotions a cross-kick in the direction of Ben Earl loitering on the fitting touchline, however he’s nicely coated and may’t maintain the ball.
PENALTY! England 15 – 23 Fiji (Caleb Muntz)
60 minutes. Alex Mitchell provides it the total Superfly Jimmy Snuka strikes as he jumps and wraps his left arm round Droasese’s neck. It’s a penalty and nothing extra as there was low diploma of hazard from his flapping, noodle-arm.
Muntz requires the tee and hammers it over from 45 metres.
TRY! England 15 – 20 Fiji (Marcus Smith)
57 minutes. England get into the Fiji half and it’s a easy chip excessive from Ford that Marcus Smith, on at fullback, chases and reaches first forward of Droasese to attain below the sticks. There was whiff of offside, however the TMO is completely happy.
Ford converts and England have a doable momentum shifter.
PENALTY! England 8 – 20 Fiji (Caleb Muntz)
55 minutes. Fiji are extra on high than a lad that doesn’t do leg day as they pile into the 22 as soon as extra and Jack Willis is in hassle for infriging on the breakdown. Muntz takes the chance to increase the lead.
53 minutes. Ben Earl was very gradual to cowl the ruck there, which gave Habosi all of the area on the planet to run by.
TRY! England 8 – 17 Fiji (Vinaya Habosi)
52 minutes. Fiji assault on the left of the England half after the ball is nicked from an England scrum, and Habosi merely picks up the ball from a horribly unguarded ruck and pegs it ahead and over the road from 20 metres.
Muntz converts.
What ultimate quarter we’re heading for right here!
There’s a break in play after Albert Tuisue’s head is rattled in a clashes with Joe Marler. Ref Peyper is completely happy there was nothing in it, however he seems to be making use of his personal particular rulebook as per.
50 minutes. England’s flip to have some ball within the 22, and there’s some strong and affected person carries earlier than Ford tries a grubber that pinballs behind him off some Fijian legs. They scramble to retain possession, however on the subsequent breakdown Malins kills the ball to concede a penalty.
Joe Marler is on for Ellis Genge.
47 minutes. Eroni Mawi is out of the bin and Lomani is off at scrum-half, changed by Simione Kuruvoli.
46 minutes. Lawes is pinged for neck-rolling within the ruck and from the lineout the Fijians once more discover Ravutaumada, this break day his wing in midfield, who make some metres as soon as extra. They look to start out the phases, however the ball goes ahead, to England’s aid.
TRY! England 8 – 10 Fiji (Waisea Nayacalevu)
43 minutes. Radrada finds Ravutaumada with a looping go and the Fiji winger stands up May and diddles him on the surface with some beautiful toes. He sprints ahead and pops inside to Nayacalevu who’s over once more and this time there may be zero doubt concerning the ultimate go.
Muntz converts to place Fiji in entrance for the primary time with a person nonetheless within the sin-bin!
42 minutes. Bit of a sliced clearance from England has Fiji in possession within the opposing hal because the rain miraculously stops. The ball is spilled however Steward boots a ball out on the total from outdoors the 22.
Second half!
Ford will get us again underway.
“How is the Fiji final pass for disallowed try forward and the England final pass for their try not?” asks Oliver Jawara, “Both looked forward clearly to me and both by about the same margin.”
I’d need to revisit the England go to have an opinion on that, Oliver. Anyone else have the identical view on the market?
Half time musings.
A balanced forty minutes, with each side having some optimistic intervals. England sturdy within the first twenty, with Ford getting Tuilagi and Lawrence transferring, and a strive scored by a again for the primary time in six hours of rugby that means an enormous monkey is launched off the again of the squad.
But, when Fiji lastly had some ball, they knocked the house facet again commonly and however for a slight overrun by Nayacelevu the guests can be in entrance at half time.
It is persistently hammering down with rain, so the subsequent forty will play for the facet with the higher kick-chase and maul, which is clearly England. It feels just like the second half within the circumstances will likely be one thing to endure for everybody concerned, together with us watching.
HALF TIME! England 8 – 3 Fiji
40 minutes. Win it they do, and Lomani chips it out to finish the half.
39 minutes. It’s one other drive for the road from the house pack, however Fiji get amongst it legally this time and maintain the ball up. They’ll have a tough 5 metre scrum to win to clear the hazard.
YELLOW CARD! Eroni Mawi (Fiji)
38 minutes. England go full huge off the highest of the lineout and… solely joking, they catch and drive it and rumble up near the road earlier than Eroni Mawi torpedoes it illegally. On the benefit, Malins races for the nook however he’s tackled into contact, simply brief.
Mawi is given his marching orders for 10 minutes for an expert foul.
36 minutes. England get a maul going from a lineout simply contained in the Fiji half and it’s take your choose of infringements from the guests as they wrestle to include the ominous, gathering drive. Ford finds contact deep within the 22.
32 minutes. That strive was disallowed, nevertheless it got here after a interval of Fiji working the ball and taking England defenders out with their large carries which created the area to take advantage of. And they’re at it once more as they dominantly manoeuvre into the England 22, however the slippy ball as soon as once more foils them by not sticking in Nayacelevu’s grip..
30 minutes. Chessum is left for lifeless in midfield by Ravutaumada who’s all of the sudden free and bearing down on Steward. The winger pops the ball proper to Nayacalevu on the gallop who’s over to floor it.
But wait! The ultimate go was nicely ahead, and the TMO factors that out. NO TRY!
26 minutes. More possession for Fiji as they lastly have a sequence of phased possession to work with, and their carrying has England’s defence drifting offside. The ensuing Fiji lineout is scruffy on the England 22, and the ball pings round within the moisture, finally falling to Steward who hoofs clear.
24 minutes. Fiji have possession within the England half for what appears like the primary time, and Radrada is on a trademark run, pumping his legs to drive by the deal with. He seems to have arrange an important platform however loses the ball as he goes to floor and Mitchell snaffles it besides as much as midway.
22 minutes. The ball is appreciated a greased otter within the gamers’ arms, or largely not within the gamers’ arms, truly, because it pings and slips everywhere. The newest England knock-on has Eroni Mawi placing Genge below all types of stress within the scrum, forcing the England man to the bottom. Penalty Fiji.
19 minutes. Both sides begin a kicking collection, with Frank Lomani placing a good 45 metre diagonal one in, however Steward covers it, returns with curiosity and Lomani is pressured into contact by the England defence whereas making an attempt to run it again.
PENALTY! England 8 – 3 Fiji (Caleb Muntz)
17 minutes. The Fiji 10 steps up and strikes a magnificence from 40 metres by the stair-rod rain to place his facet on the scoreboard.
13 minutes. The Fiji pack strikes quickly backwards on their very own scrum within the 22, however Mata manages to salvage the ball within the melee to permit his facet to clear. Steward boots it again and for a second it seems like May could get to the ball because it dribbles unfastened in-goal however Ravutaumada is first to floor it.
The rain is completely honking down at Twickenham now.
TRY! England 8 – 0 Fiji (Jonny May)
8 minutes. The opening minutes are all England, with every carry from Tuilagi and Lawrence inflicting strife within the Fiji tackle-line. Off a dominant scrum platform Ford fires a miss-pass to May on the left touchline who steps by Ravutaumada’s deal with to attain. Reasonable step from May to create a little bit of uncertainty however Ravutaumada flapped at that horribly – a enterprise choice deal with with one eye on not getting injured, maybe?
Ford pushes the conversion huge.
@bloodandmud love Ugo however suggesting Borthwick’s England would do higher in the event that they attacked with extra ambition is like saying the northern tip of Sweden can be higher for sunbathing if it was a bit much less chilly and snowy
— The Adamsons (@Adamsons_Vs) August 26, 2023
PENALTY! England 3 – 0 Fiji (George Ford)
5 minutes. Fiji are offside in midfield after one other Tuilagi carry. It’s on the 22 so Ford wastes not time in signalling the posts then slotting the ball by.
4 minutes. There’s a murmur of pleasure within the crowd as England have a linout on the Fiji 22, however the throw from younger Theo Dan is nothing like straight. Opportunity over and Muntz can clear it away to the touch.
2 minutes. England’s assault has extra snap within the first few phases than we’ve seen for months, with Manu Tuilagi very near busting the road after a well-run sample off a lineout the spotlight. A few phases later, nevertheless, the house facet are too eager on the breakdown and concede a penalty.
Kick off!
Ref Jaco Peyper toots on his recorder of rebuke and George Ford will get the sport began with a deep kick into the Fiji 22.
Distinctly empty stands abound because the groups head from the tunnel, with Courtney Lawes out first, accompanied by his 4 children, on the event of his a centesimal cap.
Pre-match studying
Ugo Monye thinks he’s discovered the reply to the England malaise. Have a gander right here..
Give us a shout with all of your opinions and reflections both on the e-mail or through that X thing.
Teams
Borthwick makes modifications from the facet hammered in Dublin, with the Farrell and Vunipola suspensions mixed with some tactical swaps. Alex Mitchell is in at scrum-half with a boom-boom partnership of Ollie Lawrence and Manu Tuilagi most well-liked within the centre alongside a uncommon begin for wing, Jonny May.
In the forwards, Dan Cole returns within the entrance row alongside Theo Dan and Ellis Genge, with begins for Ollie Chessum and Jack Willis elsewhere within the pack. Ben Earl takes the No8 berth vacated by the suspended Vunipola.
Fiji make seven modifications to the facet that misplaced in France, together with a debut pairing of captain Waisea Nayacalevu with Semi Radradra within the centres.
TEAMS
England: Freddie Steward; Max Malins, Ollie Lawrence, Manu Tuilagi, Jonny May; George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Theo Dan, Dan Cole; Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum; Courtney Lawes (capt), Jack Willis, Ben Earl.
Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Will Stuart, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Lewis Ludlam, 21 Danny Care, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Joe Marchant.
Fiji: Ilaisa Droasese; Selesitino Ravutaumada, Waisea Nayacalevu (capt), Semi Radradra, Vinaya Habosi; Caleb Muntz, Frank Lomani; Eroni Mawi, Sam Matavesi, Luke Tagi; Isoa Nasilasila, Te Ahiwaru Cirikidveta; Albert Tuisue, Lekima Tagitagivalu, Viliame Mata.
Replacements: 16 Zuriel Togiatama, 17 Jone Koroiduadua, 18 Samu Tawake, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Vilive Miramira, 21 Simione Kuruvoli, 22 Teti Tela, 23 Kalaveti Ravouvou
Preamble
Welcome to Twickenham for the ultimate instalment of England’s Rugby World Cup warm-ups as they tackle Fiji.
Thus far the run of matches for the house staff has featured Steve Borthwick because the impresario of a horrible Keystone Kops tribute act – however with much less falling over, extra confusion and worse uniforms leading to an unprecedented stage of viewers and media hostility. Today is the swansong efficiency earlier than the present strikes on to the massive venues, and the ultimate likelihood for Borthwick’s Band to current one thing resembling a coherent eighty minutes.
Another week of disciplinary hearings, with each the distraction and subsequent lack of captain Owen Farrell and sole No 8, Billy Vunipola, has not precisely assisted with the ambition of a extra coherent exhibiting.
Something else that won’t profit England’s plans are at present’s opponents. Fiji misplaced to France final week, however regarded highly effective and inventive all through and are heading to this yr’s World Cup with their greatest ever pool of gamers, and the draw presenting their best likelihood to go deep into the match. A victory at present can be fairly the marker to place down.
But, historical past tells us that no matter type, England have a knack of profitable video games towards such opposition. They are the consummate flat-track bullies, so anticipate the heavy curler therapy from them at present.
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