Henry Pollock scored a hat-trick and Benhard Janse van Rensburg a try on debut as England ended their five-match losing streak with a rout of Fiji in Liverpool.
England ran in 11 tries in their 73-8 win as they bounced back from last week’s tournament-opening 45-21 loss away to the Springboks, with Test debutants Janse van Rensburg and Noah Caluori among the try-scorers.
Fiji had to play more than half the match down to 14 men after Simione Kuruvoli was sent off for kicking Ellis Genge shortly before the interval at the home of Premier League football club Everton.
Fiji trailed 35-3 when Kuruvoli departed, with South African Van Rensburg among the try-scorers just 218 seconds after coming on as a head injury assessment replacement for Henry Slade, and three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.
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England coach Steve Borthwick, under pressure coming into this game, was able to empty his bench with confidence in the second half and 19-year-old novice replacement Caluori scored a try in the 65th minute.
Pollock, another replacement, completed his hat-trick in the closing seconds.
Fin Smith led an England attack that scored several fine tries after Fiji had been softened up by the pack and the flyhalf was named Man of the Match.
England will now complete the July leg of the Nations Championship away to Argentina next weekend, with the Pumas set to provider far sterner opposition than Fiji, who were beaten 39-24 by Wales in their tournament opener.
FIJI – Try: Ikanivere. Penalty: Muntz.
ENGLAND – Tries: Marcus Smith, Jamie George, Guy Pepper, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Seb Atkinson, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Pollock (3), Henry Slade, Noah Caluori. Conversions: Fin Smith (9).
– AFP
Photo: Ed Sykes/Getty Images
The post Pollock, Benhard star in big England win appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Henry Pollock scored a hat-trick and Benhard Janse van Rensburg a try on debut as England ended their five-match losing streak with a rout of Fiji in Liverpool.
The post Pollock, Benhard star in big England win appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
