The English Team vs Fiji – Fall International Rugby Match Analysis
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Introduction
Like the silver birches near my house at this time of year, England's autumn performances show a blend of highs and lows. They often appear impressive because of shifts and organic growth, before the inevitable atrophying dumps of loads of mess all over the place demanding extensive tidying efforts while feeling irritable. Plus, the rain has begun to fall.
Steve Borthwick will powerfully wish to change this picture with a decent start already under his belt. Their initial victory against Australia this November surpasses the results from 2024, when three miserable losses were punctuated by a bog-standard win over Japan as the full stop in the final week. Much was made amidst the post-series malaise regarding how the initial matches against New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa made the schedule overly challenging, with a momentum of misery accompanying each week’s result. This year, valuable lessons have been absorbed, as the victory over Australia is now followed by today's game versus Fiji providing a moment to solidify the optimistic atmosphere.
The English squad shows many changes compared to last week's selection, which given the class sprinkled throughout the Fiji squad could be be seen as hubris from Borthwick. But, while the islanders are no mugs by any measure, they often find it tough in encounters with England. A win in the 2023 World Cup warm up games their solitary victory in nine tests vs today’s opposition.
The English side is widely regarded as the most efficient in dispatching opponents they ought to overcome easily; for instance, they are the sole team never beaten by Italy in the Six Nations, and they seldom fall to lower-tier nations.
