Everton didn’t enjoy playing home games at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this year. On Saturday, Fiji were the home side and they didn’t feel many home comforts either. They were outplayed in all areas by England as they fell to a record defeat.
In a one-sided contest against a weaker side, is there anything to be learnt? The consensus among fans suggests not, but England are beginning to carve out a gameplan which can hide their weaknesses and make the most of their strengths. It relies on pace and forwards who look out of place.
Fiji and Steve Borthwick go hand in hand. England came into the 2023 Rugby World Cup off the back of a 30-22 loss to the Pacific islanders, then squeezed past them 30-24 a couple of months later.
This result was significantly more straightforward for Borthwick’s side, who never looked perturbed by anything Fiji threw at them.
Unlike last week’s loss to South Africa, England had the strength advantage and used their power game to win the match then cut loose in the second half to decide by how much.
