Tries: Ikanivere (48) Penalties: Muntz (13)
Tries: Smith (6), George (15), Pepper (28), Janse van Rensburg (35), Atkinson (38), Feyi-Waboso (54), Pollock (55,68,80), Slade (60), Caluori (65) Conversions: Smith (6,16,29,36,39,54,61,69,81)
Fiji vs England Nations Championship 2:10pm Saturday 11th July
Steve Borthwick's England snapped a run of five consecutive Test defeats with a 73-8 thrashing of 14-player Fiji in the Nations Championship at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.
A dominant first-half display saw Marcus Smith and Jamie George score early tries - the opener after a bizarre corner flag assist - before Guy Pepper, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Gus Atkinson added further efforts with Levani Botia in the sin-bin for cynical play.
Van Rensburg - a controversial import from South Africa for whom England had to get World Rugby approval to select - scored with his first touch on debut, having replaced Henry Slade.
Fiji appeared to have ended the half with a try through Kalaveti Ravouvou in the final play, but it was ruled out with scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli shown a harsh permanent red card for kicking out at Ellis Genge - referee Hollie Davidson and TMO Mike Adamson refusing to sanction Genge for holding onto the legs of Kuruvoli prior to the act.
Such an officiating decision rendered the second 40 minutes a virtual non-contest with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Pollock (hat-trick), Henry Slade and debutant Noah Caluori each scoring after Tevita Ikanivere had crossed for Fiji's only try.
"England have put on a clinic today on how to win a Test match against a really dangerous opposition.
"They bounced back. They've improved in every aspect of the game that they did last week in South Africa.
"They were clinical, they played in the right areas and when they had opportunities to score, they did.
"And they had a bit of razzle dazzle at the end with Henry Pollock scoring his hat-trick.
"So a great, great day for England and back to where they should be, back to winning ways.
"Now next week becomes massive away in Argentina. That'll be a whole different level than what today was."
England travel to face Argentina for their third Nations Championship fixture as they face the Pumas at Estadio Unico in Santiago del Estero on Saturday July 18 (8.10pm kick-off).
Fiji next face Scotland for their third Test of the summer, also on Saturday July 18, at Murrayfield in Edinburgh (2.10pm kick-off).
