Nations Championship · Round 2
Fiji
England
Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
Championship Standings
Round 1 of the inaugural World Rugby Nations Championship is in the books, and the Rest of World group holds the early edge — South Africa (45–21 v England), New Zealand (34–32 v France) and Japan (27–10 v Italy) all won their openers, leaving Australia, Argentina and Fiji chasing. In Europe, Wales, Scotland and Ireland all won, France banked two bonus points in a two-point loss to the All Blacks, and England and Italy sit pointless. The competition is two groups of six playing a full cross-group round-robin — four points for a win, two for a draw, plus bonus points for scoring four tries and for losing by seven or fewer — with the group standings seeding a Finals Weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. The tables below are seeded on points then points difference after Round 1.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rest of World | ||||||
| 1 |  South Africa | 1 | 1 | 0 | +24 | 5 |
| 2 |  New Zealand | 1 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 |  Japan | 1 | 1 | 0 | +17 | 4 |
| 4 |  Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| 5 |  Argentina | 1 | 0 | 1 | -9 | 1 |
| 6 | Fiji | 1 | 0 | 1 | -15 | 0 |
| Europe | ||||||
| 1 |  Wales | 1 | 1 | 0 | +15 | 5 |
| 2 |  Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | +9 | 5 |
| 3 |  Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 5 |
| 4 |  France | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| 5 |  Italy | 1 | 0 | 1 | -17 | 0 |
| 6 | England | 1 | 0 | 1 | -24 | 0 |
Fiji
W2, L3Fiji opened their Nations Championship with a 39–24 defeat to Wales at Cardiff — a de facto Welsh home tie — where the flakiness that shadows the talent was all over a leaky second half. It's the familiar pattern: 2025 Pacific Nations Cup champions and Scotland-beaters one week, comfortably second-best to organised tier-one packs the next, exactly as England (38–18) and France (34–21) demonstrated last November. Losing Semi Radradra to a knee injury against Wales makes an already inconsistent side more reliant on their remaining strike runners to manufacture something from broken play.
England
L5Five straight defeats — England's worst run in years — and the pressure on Steve Borthwick is mounting by the week. After thrashing Wales 48–7 to open the Six Nations they lost four on the bounce, the 23–18 collapse in Rome to Italy the nadir, before shipping 45 at altitude to South Africa in Johannesburg. The scorelines flatter and sting in equal measure: within two points of France, but blown away by Ireland and the Boks. This is a side that has forgotten how to close games and desperately needs a win — any win — to arrest the slide.
Head-to-Head Record
1 – 0 – 6
Fiji wins · Draws · England wins (last 7 meetings)
Fiji (1)England own this fixture in the record books, winning six of the last seven meetings — including a 38–18 stroll in London last November and the 30–24 World Cup pool win in 2023. Fiji's one bright spot is a genuine one: a 30–22 win over England at Twickenham in an August 2023 World Cup warm-up, proof that on their day they can topple even a full-strength English side. But England have generally had far too much set-piece control and organisation, winning the last three encounters by a combined 42 points.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | Autumn International | England 38–18 Fiji |
| Oct 2023 | Rugby World Cup | England 30–24 Fiji |
| Aug 2023 | World Cup Warm-up | England 22–30 Fiji |
| Nov 2016 | Autumn International | England 58–15 Fiji |
| Sep 2015 | Rugby World Cup | England 35–11 Fiji |
| Nov 2012 | Autumn International | England 54–12 Fiji |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: England 40 – Fiji 19 across the last seven meetings, winning six. The one Fiji victory (30–22 in 2023) is the warning shot — the margin swings wildly toward Fiji whenever the game becomes loose and fast, and shuts firmly toward England whenever it becomes a set-piece grind.
Extended Form
Fiji6W, 3L (last 12 months)
Beat Scotland 29–14 (Jul 2025), then swept the Pacific Nations Cup — Tonga 32–10, Samoa 29–15, Canada 63–10, Japan 33–27 in the final. Lost the November tour opener to England 38–18 and to France 34–21 before edging Spain 41–33, then opened the Nations Championship with a 39–24 defeat to Wales in Cardiff.
A PNC title and a home win over Scotland say the ceiling is real, but three defeats to tier-one European sides in eight months say the floor is soft. When Fiji get quick ball their strike runners break any defence; when squeezed at the set piece and forced to chase, it unravels — and without Radradra, one of those match-winners is gone.
England8W, 5L (last 12 months)
Perfect summer 2025 tour (Argentina twice, USA 40–5) and a flawless November (New Zealand 33–19, Australia 25–7, Fiji 38–18, Argentina 27–23). Then it fell apart: beat Wales 48–7 to open the Six Nations, then lost to Scotland, Ireland, Italy and France, and opened the Nations Championship with a 45–21 defeat in Johannesburg.
The split personality is the whole story. England were the form autumn side in the Northern Hemisphere and have since lost five in a row — a run that has turned Borthwick's seat white-hot. The talent is obvious and the November wins over the All Blacks and Wallabies prove the level exists; the problem is a side that keeps finding new ways to lose.
Fiji XV
Fiji reshuffle heavily from the Wales defeat, and not by choice — Semi Radradra has been ruled out for the rest of the Nations Championship with the knee injury he picked up in Cardiff, a major blow to their midfield strike. Tevita Ikanivere captains from hooker; Levani Botia shifts to No. 8, Kalaveti Ravouvou moves to 13 outside Josua Tuisova, and Salesi Rayasi comes in at full-back with Vuate Karawalevu on the wing. Simione Kuruvoli starts at scrum-half with Frank Lomani among the finishers, and Sam Matavesi and Peni Ravai anchor a physical bench.
England XV
With the losing streak at five and his job under scrutiny, Steve Borthwick makes only two personnel changes to the side beaten in Johannesburg: Henry Slade returns at 13 (Tommy Freeman shifting back to the wing) and Guy Pepper replaces Tom Curry at openside, with Marcus Smith taking over at full-back. Jamie George captains from hooker, Ellis Genge is vice-captain, and the real news is on the bench — uncapped trio George Kloska, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and 19-year-old Saracens flyer Noah Caluori (joint-top Premiership try-scorer with 18) are all in line for debuts. Curry and Henry Pollock provide the back-row impact off the bench.
Key Matchups
This is a game about tempo, and both sides want the opposite thing. England, five defeats deep and desperate for control, will try to make it a set-piece grind — their front five and lineout are a level above, and if Genge, George and Heyes squeeze the Fijian scrum the way England and France did in November, quick ball dries up. Fiji's route is chaos: Tuisova bending the line, Wainiqolo and Rayasi finishing off turnover and kick-return ball, and Botia carrying at No. 8. Losing Radradra hurts their midfield punch, but this England defence has leaked all year — if the game gets loose and fast, Fiji have the runners to punish it. Whoever dictates the pace wins.
Match Forecast
England should win this, and the scorecard (net -7 from Fiji's perspective) backs it — but the manner matters more than the result. The three big swings all favour England: a de facto home game at Hill Dickinson Stadium (-3), a superior set piece and pack (-2 each), and a 6–1 head-to-head edge across the last seven. Fiji lost their most reliable midfield threat when Radradra went down against Wales, and a Fijian side squeezed up front and starved of quick ball is exactly the version England's forwards can grind into submission. On a five-game losing streak, Borthwick's men will take control any way they can get it.
The caveat is the one that always applies to Fiji — and to this fragile England. This is a side that has forgotten how to close, has leaked points all year, and now trots out with the pressure of avoiding a sixth straight defeat. If the game gets loose and fast, Tuisova, Wainiqolo and Rayasi have the pace and power to punish every missed tackle, and Fiji have beaten a full-strength England before when the tempo suited them. Expect England to lead comfortably by the hour — but don't be shocked if a couple of Fijian counter-strikes make the final quarter more nervous than the scoreboard should allow.
England to end the losing streak in Liverpool — their set piece and organisation should tell, but Fiji's strike runners keep it interesting if it gets loose.
Fiji's 'home' fixture is played at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool — a de facto England home game, with no travel for the hosts-in-name-only and a long haul for Fiji.
England ride a five-game losing streak — their worst run in years — into a must-win, with pressure mounting on Steve Borthwick by the week.
Fiji lost their most reliable midfield strike when Semi Radradra was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a knee injury suffered against Wales.
England have won six of the last seven meetings — but the exception is a warning: Fiji beat a full-strength England 30–22 at Twickenham in a 2023 warm-up.
England's bench carries three uncapped players in line for debuts — including 19-year-old Saracens wing Noah Caluori, joint-top Premiership try-scorer with 18.
Fiji are the reigning 2025 Pacific Nations Cup champions and beat Scotland 29–14 last July — the ceiling is real when the game gets loose and fast.