BENHARD JANSE VAN Rensburg and Noah Caluori made try-scoring debuts, and Henry Pollock plundered a hat-trick as clinical England ended their five-Test losing run by dismantling Fiji 73-8 at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Steve Borthwick’s men bounced back from the 45-21 mauling by South Africa that opened their Nations Championship with an 11-try rout of dismal opposition who saw Simione Kuruvoli sent off for kicking Ellis Genge in first-half overtime.
Fiji trailed 35-3 when Kuruvoli departed, with South African-born Van Rensburg among the try scorers just 218 seconds after coming on as an HIA replacement for Henry Slade and three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.
The onslaught intensified in the second half even though Borthwick had emptied his bench, with 19-year-old rookie Caluori touching down in the 65th minute and the rapid Pollock, another replacement, completing his hat-trick in the closing seconds.
Fin Smith was the focal point of an attack that produced some eye-catching tries after Fiji had been softened up by the scrum and maul and was named man of the match.
Relieved of the burden of their losing run, England head to Argentina for the climax to their July tour with renewed purpose but the Pumas at Santiago del Estero will prove a far sterner test.
So often dangerous foes, on this occasion Fiji were overwhelmed in every department, with their feeble defence and weak set-piece particular areas of concern.
They have given England plenty of problems in recent times, most notably in their seismic upset of 2023, but this team folded with surprising ease, and the result was effectively put to bed inside half an hour.
English scrum and maul dominance were quickly established, and once Marcus Smith had begun the scoring with the help of a kind bounce off the corner flag, Jamie George was driven over by his pack.
Fin Smith was kicking for touch at every opportunity to launch the line-out maul, but there were also encouraging flourishes in attack from the Northampton out-half.
Fiji already showed signs of tiring and their defence gifted England’s next two tries, with Guy Pepper and Van Rensburg storming through where there should have stood a wall of white shirts.
Marcus Smith’s dancing feet initiated the next score for Atkinson and the Islanders’ problems grew when Kuruvoli was given his marching orders.
Fiji’s first meaningful attack did not arrive until early in the second half, and Tevita Ikanivere touched down as a result, but England restored their authority when quick hands set up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso for a diving try into the corner.
Pollock won the foot race for Ben Earl’s grubber, Slade slid over, and then Caluori dived across the whitewash as the tries piled up.
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Pollock’s pace and the vision of Slade made England’s 10th score possible, and as full-time approached, Pollock switched on the afterburners for his third to put Fiji out of their misery.
South Africa's Jesse Kriel, center, celebrates with his teammates. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Elsewhere, Jesse Kriel scored a 78th-minute try to seal a 42-28 victory for South Africa over Scotland in a thrilling Nations Championship match in Pretoria.
The World champions built a 14-point lead after 18 minutes. Scotland tied the game by half-time. The Boks went ahead by 21 points after half-time, but Scotland came back again with two tries and secured a four-try bonus point.
Embrose Papier, Evan Roos, Elrigh Louw, Damian Willemse, Zach Porthen and Kriel scored a try each for the Springboks at a vibrant Loftus Versfeld stadium.
Recalled fly-half Handre Pollard shrugged off recent poor club form to slot five conversions and replacement back Quan Horn kicked one before a 45,000 crowd.
Matt Fagerson, Kyle Rowe, Josh Bayliss and Ben White crossed the line for the never-say-die Scots. Star fly-half Finn Russell converted all four.
Victory kept South Africa top of the Southern Hemisphere standings after the second round, ahead of arch-rivals New Zealand on points difference after both achieved two bonus-point victories.
After soaking up early pressure, South Africa struck twice within three minutes through Papier, making an impressive first appearance since 2018, and Roos.
While South Africa were guilty of constant ill discipline, Scotland showed forward power and backline flair to draw level at 14-14 by half-time.
Fagerson, then Rowe scored, and Russell converted both as the Scots sought a first-ever win in South Africa after seven losses since 1960.
Replacement Springbok forward Ben-Jason Dixon was yellow-carded early in the second half, but the Scots failed to translate subsequent dominance into points.
After Dixon returned, the Springboks enjoyed an eight-minute purple patch with Louw, Willemse and Porthen crossing the try line.
Pollard converted all three, and the record four-time Rugby World Cup winners were sitting pretty with a 35-14 lead.
But Scotland refused to give in, and Bayliss and White scored, Russell converted both, and suddenly there were just seven points between the teams.
Scottish wing Kyle Styen knocked on a Russell cross kick when he looked set to score, then Kriel raced clear to put the outcome beyond doubt.
Argentina's Joaquin Oviedo scores a try against Wales. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Meanwhile, Argentina snuffed out the brief Welsh rugby revival on Saturday with a 35-21 win in San Juan to conclude the second round of the Nations Championship.
Argentina, who had locked up a four-try bonus point by half-time, finished with five tries while Wales scored three, all through front-row forwards.
The result meant that after two rounds of matches, only three of the 12 teams had a perfect record: Ireland, who top the Northern Hemisphere table; and South Africa and New Zealand in the South.
Argentina had lost a high-scoring opener at home to Scotland the previous week. Wales edged Fiji in Cardiff to secure back-to-back Test wins for the first time since 2023.
On Saturday, the Pumas, who made five changes from their losing side, feasted on the Welsh defensive frailties exposed by the Fijians, mixing close-range power with penetrating running through the porous visiting defence out wide.
“They were a bit more physical than us, and they beat us in that battle,” Wales skipper Dewi Lake told Welsh broadcaster S4C
“We were dropping off too many tackles. We have to work harder and be quicker.”
Wales jumped into a second-minute lead when hooker Lake bludgeoned over from close range.
Argentina responded by slicing through the Welsh in an attack that ended with No. 8 Joaquin Oviedo diving over on five minutes.
After 14 minutes, wing Bautista Delguy leapt to collect a high ball and feed centre Justo Piccardo, who scored.
Wales hit back with another close-range, front-row try, this time from hulking prop Rhys Carre after 23 minutes.
In defence, Wales struggled to slow the hosts, who cut through twice to secure a four-try bonus by half-time.
Flanker Marcos Kremer crashed over after 34 minutes, and fullback Santiago Carreras added the second just before the break.
The hosts threatened to turn a romp into a rout early in the second half as Oviedo trotted over untouched seven minutes after the restart.
Argentina crossed again, but the score was ruled out, and after that the hosts seemed to settle for containment.
Wales coach Steve Tandy threw on star back Louis Rees-Zammit, rested after last week. Yet, it was a replacement prop Ben Warren who scored the last try in the 65th minute as Wales stuck to a successful formula. Another frontal assault created a gap in the home defence, and Warner flopped over for a try.
In a match without a single converted penalty, both fly-halves were impeccable with their conversions. Tomas Albornoz goaled all five Pumas tries, while Sam Costelow, recalled by Wales. landed his three attempts.
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Henry Pollock scores hat-trick as England smash Fiji to end losing run
Updated at 22.59
Nations Championship:
BENHARD JANSE VAN Rensburg and Noah Caluori made try-scoring debuts, and Henry Pollock plundered a hat-trick as clinical England ended their five-Test losing run by dismantling Fiji 73-8 at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Steve Borthwick’s men bounced back from the 45-21 mauling by South Africa that opened their Nations Championship with an 11-try rout of dismal opposition who saw Simione Kuruvoli sent off for kicking Ellis Genge in first-half overtime.
Fiji trailed 35-3 when Kuruvoli departed, with South African-born Van Rensburg among the try scorers just 218 seconds after coming on as an HIA replacement for Henry Slade and three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.
The onslaught intensified in the second half even though Borthwick had emptied his bench, with 19-year-old rookie Caluori touching down in the 65th minute and the rapid Pollock, another replacement, completing his hat-trick in the closing seconds.
Fin Smith was the focal point of an attack that produced some eye-catching tries after Fiji had been softened up by the scrum and maul and was named man of the match.
Relieved of the burden of their losing run, England head to Argentina for the climax to their July tour with renewed purpose but the Pumas at Santiago del Estero will prove a far sterner test.
So often dangerous foes, on this occasion Fiji were overwhelmed in every department, with their feeble defence and weak set-piece particular areas of concern.
They have given England plenty of problems in recent times, most notably in their seismic upset of 2023, but this team folded with surprising ease, and the result was effectively put to bed inside half an hour.
English scrum and maul dominance were quickly established, and once Marcus Smith had begun the scoring with the help of a kind bounce off the corner flag, Jamie George was driven over by his pack.
Fin Smith was kicking for touch at every opportunity to launch the line-out maul, but there were also encouraging flourishes in attack from the Northampton out-half.
Fiji already showed signs of tiring and their defence gifted England’s next two tries, with Guy Pepper and Van Rensburg storming through where there should have stood a wall of white shirts.
Marcus Smith’s dancing feet initiated the next score for Atkinson and the Islanders’ problems grew when Kuruvoli was given his marching orders.
Fiji’s first meaningful attack did not arrive until early in the second half, and Tevita Ikanivere touched down as a result, but England restored their authority when quick hands set up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso for a diving try into the corner.
Pollock won the foot race for Ben Earl’s grubber, Slade slid over, and then Caluori dived across the whitewash as the tries piled up.
Pollock’s pace and the vision of Slade made England’s 10th score possible, and as full-time approached, Pollock switched on the afterburners for his third to put Fiji out of their misery.
Elsewhere, Jesse Kriel scored a 78th-minute try to seal a 42-28 victory for South Africa over Scotland in a thrilling Nations Championship match in Pretoria.
The World champions built a 14-point lead after 18 minutes. Scotland tied the game by half-time. The Boks went ahead by 21 points after half-time, but Scotland came back again with two tries and secured a four-try bonus point.
Embrose Papier, Evan Roos, Elrigh Louw, Damian Willemse, Zach Porthen and Kriel scored a try each for the Springboks at a vibrant Loftus Versfeld stadium.
Recalled fly-half Handre Pollard shrugged off recent poor club form to slot five conversions and replacement back Quan Horn kicked one before a 45,000 crowd.
Matt Fagerson, Kyle Rowe, Josh Bayliss and Ben White crossed the line for the never-say-die Scots. Star fly-half Finn Russell converted all four.
Victory kept South Africa top of the Southern Hemisphere standings after the second round, ahead of arch-rivals New Zealand on points difference after both achieved two bonus-point victories.
After soaking up early pressure, South Africa struck twice within three minutes through Papier, making an impressive first appearance since 2018, and Roos.
While South Africa were guilty of constant ill discipline, Scotland showed forward power and backline flair to draw level at 14-14 by half-time.
Fagerson, then Rowe scored, and Russell converted both as the Scots sought a first-ever win in South Africa after seven losses since 1960.
Replacement Springbok forward Ben-Jason Dixon was yellow-carded early in the second half, but the Scots failed to translate subsequent dominance into points.
After Dixon returned, the Springboks enjoyed an eight-minute purple patch with Louw, Willemse and Porthen crossing the try line.
Pollard converted all three, and the record four-time Rugby World Cup winners were sitting pretty with a 35-14 lead.
But Scotland refused to give in, and Bayliss and White scored, Russell converted both, and suddenly there were just seven points between the teams.
Scottish wing Kyle Styen knocked on a Russell cross kick when he looked set to score, then Kriel raced clear to put the outcome beyond doubt.
Meanwhile, Argentina snuffed out the brief Welsh rugby revival on Saturday with a 35-21 win in San Juan to conclude the second round of the Nations Championship.
Argentina, who had locked up a four-try bonus point by half-time, finished with five tries while Wales scored three, all through front-row forwards.
The result meant that after two rounds of matches, only three of the 12 teams had a perfect record: Ireland, who top the Northern Hemisphere table; and South Africa and New Zealand in the South.
Argentina had lost a high-scoring opener at home to Scotland the previous week. Wales edged Fiji in Cardiff to secure back-to-back Test wins for the first time since 2023.
On Saturday, the Pumas, who made five changes from their losing side, feasted on the Welsh defensive frailties exposed by the Fijians, mixing close-range power with penetrating running through the porous visiting defence out wide.
“They were a bit more physical than us, and they beat us in that battle,” Wales skipper Dewi Lake told Welsh broadcaster S4C
“We were dropping off too many tackles. We have to work harder and be quicker.”
Wales jumped into a second-minute lead when hooker Lake bludgeoned over from close range.
Argentina responded by slicing through the Welsh in an attack that ended with No. 8 Joaquin Oviedo diving over on five minutes.
After 14 minutes, wing Bautista Delguy leapt to collect a high ball and feed centre Justo Piccardo, who scored.
Wales hit back with another close-range, front-row try, this time from hulking prop Rhys Carre after 23 minutes.
In defence, Wales struggled to slow the hosts, who cut through twice to secure a four-try bonus by half-time.
Flanker Marcos Kremer crashed over after 34 minutes, and fullback Santiago Carreras added the second just before the break.
The hosts threatened to turn a romp into a rout early in the second half as Oviedo trotted over untouched seven minutes after the restart.
Argentina crossed again, but the score was ruled out, and after that the hosts seemed to settle for containment.
Wales coach Steve Tandy threw on star back Louis Rees-Zammit, rested after last week. Yet, it was a replacement prop Ben Warren who scored the last try in the 65th minute as Wales stuck to a successful formula. Another frontal assault created a gap in the home defence, and Warner flopped over for a try.
In a match without a single converted penalty, both fly-halves were impeccable with their conversions. Tomas Albornoz goaled all five Pumas tries, while Sam Costelow, recalled by Wales. landed his three attempts.
Additional reporting by AFP
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