England snatch vital bonus point in opening World Cup match

England 35 Fiji 11

The final scoreline misrepresents the performances of both teams, flattering England somewhat and taunting Fiji, but what it does attest to is the value of playing right to the final whistle.

The Rugby World Cup tournaments hosts did exactly that and were rewarded with a bonus-point fourth try, one that seemed beyond them for large tranches of the second half.

England coach Stuart Lancaster deserves credit for the timing of his wholesale changes; not only did they address the home side’s shortcomings in the scrum, they gave the team energy and enthusiasm that ultimately proved irresistible.

Wriggled free

There are many concerns for the home side though, a scrum that was dominated at times, the brittleness of the inside defence as Fiji targeted George Ford in attacking the outhalf channel. The visitors might have been ahead if they'd been more accurate with the placed ball before England wriggled free late-on.

It’s possible to marvel at and despair for Fiji in a single passage of play, wonderful athleticism and sleight of hand giving way to an infuriating laxity. In the opening 40 minutes the Pacific Islanders were guilty of self-inflicted setbacks; indiscipline was at the core of those issues.

Niko Matawalu was dispatched to the bin for coming in at the side of an England maul that was chugging towards the Fijian line, a double punishment for a single offence when South African referee Jaco Peyper raced under the posts to award a penalty try.

Ford posted the conversion as he had done for the game’s opening score, a penalty after just two minutes.

Again Fiji were culpable as outhalf Ben Volavola, under no pressure whatsoever, knocked on a hoofed clearance 30-metres from his own line.

Prior to conceding the try, Fijian flanker Dominiko Waqaniburotu was fortunate not to receive a yellow card for lifting Jonny May above the horizontal in a tackle, at least according to the letter of the law. There wasn’t any malice but it was clumsy.

The home side, having been handed the initiative, might have gone further ahead on 20 minutes only for Waisea Nayacalevu's brilliant covering tackle – his side were down to 14 men at this point – to halt Anthony Watson. Unfortunately for Fiji, they promptly lost the lineout and England fullback Mike Brown had an easier passage over the line in the opposite corner than he might have expected.

There was an expectation in the crowd that England would kick on from their handsome 15-0 lead but that was ignoring Fiji’s facility to conjure the exquisite from the innocuous.

Fiji manoeuvred England away from the touchline near halfway, and the outstanding Matawalu scooped up the ball, turned May inside out and then beat him in a foot race over 39 of the 40 metres to the line. The impish Fijian ducked under Brown’s cover tackle and May’s despairing effort but in grounding the ball he lost it.

Peyper had given the try but the television match official, and the English supporters when replay was shown on the stadium’s big screen, convinced him to overturn his original decision.

It was a brief respite as Fiji stole England’s scrum put-in and Volavola’s cross-kick was inch-perfect for the 6ft 5in Nemani Nadolo, who out-jumped Watson in the English in-goal area.

Tidy effort

Ford nudged England to an 18-5 lead but when Volavola missed another penalty chance, Nadolo took over the place-kicking and he landed a tidy effort to reduce the deficit to 18-8 at the interval. But he then missed a chance to make it a one-score game after 47 minutes, albeit from long range.

England were looking ordinary now, unsure and hesitant in possession and looking to kick by inclination, until Lancaster’s bold intervention in bringing on four replacements in the 51st minute. This cavalry charge changed the pace and intensity with which England were able to attack a tiring Fiji, who struggled to fill the line.

The genesis of Brown’s second try could once again be traced directly to Fiji’s door but it seems churlish to reproach them for an offload that goes astray when so many don’t.

The momentum of the bench pushed England to that fourth try after the game clock had turned red, Billy Vunipola forcing his way over. There was no conclusive image that confirmed a grounding on the big screen in the stadium. The suspicion was the Saracens player did and Peyper was directed from upstairs to award it.

Scoring sequence: 2 mins: Ford penalty, 3-0; 12: penalty try, Ford conversion, 10-0; 21: Brown try, 15-0; 29: Nadolo try, 15-5; 33: Ford penalty, 18-5; 35: Nadolo penalty, 18-8. Half-time: 18-8. 63: Volavola penalty, 18-11; 66: Farrell penalty, 21-11; 71: Brown try, Farrell conversion, 28-11; 80: B Vunipola try, Farrell, conversion, 35-11.

ENGLAND: M Brown; A Watson, J Joseph, B Barritt, J May ; G Ford, B Youngs; J Marler, T Youngs, D Cole; G Parling, C Lawes; T Wood, C Robshaw, B Morgan. Replacements: R Wigglesworth for Youngs, J Launchbury for Parling, M Vunipola for Marler, B Vunipola for Morgan (all 51 mins), O Farrell for Ford, S Burgess for Barritt (61 mins), K Brookes for Cole (67 mins), R Webber for T Youngs (74 mins).

FIJI: M Talebula; W Nayacalevu, V Goneva, G Lovobalavu, N Nadolo; B Volavola, N Matawalu; C Ma'afu, S Koto, M Saulo; A Ratuniyarawa, L Nakarawa; D Waqaniburotu, A Qera, S Matadigo. Replacements: T Cavubati for Ratuniyarawa (half-time), P Yato for Waqaniburotu (62 mins), T Talemaitogafor S Koto, P Ravai for Ma'afu (73 mins), I Colati for Saulo (76 mins). Yellow card: N Matawalu (Fiji) 12 mins.

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa).