Benhard scores as England destroy Fiji

MATCH REPORT: Henry Pollock scored a hat-trick of tries as England ended their five-match losing streak with a 73-8 Nations Championship rout of Fiji in Liverpool on Saturday.

England ran in 11 tries as they bounced back from last week’s tournament-opening 21-45 loss away to world champions South Africa, with Test debutants Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Noah Caluori among the try-scorers.

Fiji had to play more than half the match down to 14 men after Simione Kuruvoli was sent off for kicking Ellis Genge shortly before the interval at the home of Premier League football club Everton.

Fiji trailed 3-35 when Kuruvoli departed, with South African-born Van Rensburg among the try scorers just 218 seconds after coming on as a head injury assessment replacement for Henry Slade, and three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.

England coach Steve Borthwick, under pressure coming into this game, was able to empty his bench in the second half and 19-year-old novice replacement Caluori scored a try in the 65th minute.

Pollock, another replacement, completed his hat-trick in the closing seconds.

Fin Smith led an England attack that scored several fine tries after Fiji had been softened up by the pack and the fly-half was named man of the match.

England will complete the July leg of the Nations Championship away to Argentina next weekend, with the Pumas set to provide far sterner opposition than Fiji, who lost 24-39 to Wales in their tournament opener.

Fiji have posed problems for England in recent years, particularly with an upset win in a World Cup warm-up match three years ago, but the Pacific islanders were nowhere near their best on Saturday, with the outcome of this game all but decided inside the opening 30 minutes.

In what was technically a Fiji ‘home game’, with the Pacific islanders playing all three of their July fixtures in Britain for economic reasons, England soon established scrum and maul dominance up front.

Marcus Smith launched thr try-scoring thanks to a kind bounce off the corner flag before England captain Jamie George was driven over by his pack.

Fin Smith kicked repeatedly to set up line-out mauls but the Northampton stand-off also showed creative touches.

Fiji’s increasingly flimsy defence paved the way for England’s next two tries as Guy Pepper and Van Rensburg went over before Marcus Smith set-up a score for Seb Atkinson.

Kuruvoli’s red card added to Fiji’s woes but they did at least manage a try early in the second half when Tevita Ikanivere scored from their first meaningful attack.

That was a brief interruption to the flow of one-way traffic, with England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso going over for a diving try in the corner.

Pollock won the race for Ben Earl’s grubber, recalled centre Henry Slade slid over and then Caluori dived across the line as the tries came thick and fast.

Pollock’s pace and Slade’s vision led to England’s 10th try and there was still time left for Northampton back-row Pollock to complete his hat-trick.

Man of the match: The award goes to England flyhalf Fin Smith, who pulled the strings well on attack. A calm and composed figure with ball in hand, and he kicked well.

The scorers:

For Fiji:
Try: Ikanivere
Pen: Muntz

For England:
Tries: M Smith, George, Pepper, Janse van Rensburg, Atkinson, Feyi-Waboso, Pollock 3, Slade, Caluori
Cons: F Smith 9

Permanent Red card: Simione Kuruvoli (Fiji’ 40 + 7′ – foul play, kicking an opponent)

Yellow card: Levani Botia (Fiji, 28′ – cynical play at the ruck)

Teams:

Fiji: 15 Salesi Rayasi, 14 Vuate Karawalevu, 13 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 12 Josua Tuisova, 11 Jiuta Wainiqolo, 10 Caleb Muntz, 9 Simione Kuruvoli, 8 Levani Botia, 7 Lekima Tagitagivalu, 6 Peceli Yato, 5 Isoa Nasilasila, 4 Tevita Ratuva, 3 Mesake Doge, 2 Tevita Ikanivere, 1 Eroni Mawi.
Replacements: 16 Sam Matavesi, 17 Livai Natave, 18 Peni Ravai, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Elia Canakaivata, 21 Pita-Gus Sowakula, 22 Frank Lomani, 23 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula.

England: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 George Martin, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George (captain), 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 18 George Kloska, 19 Tom Curry, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 23 Noah Caluori.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Eoghan Cross (Ireland), Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)