Borthwick’s England sink to new lows with first Test defeat to resilient Fiji

England’s increasingly chaotic Rugby World Cup preparations have sunk to a new low with their first Test defeat to Fiji. A 72nd-minute try from the replacement scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli sealed an historic win for the visitors and increased the pressure on Steve Borthwick and his struggling squad.

Without their suspended captain, Owen Farrell, and the No 8 Billy Vunipola, in addition to a number of other injury absentees, England had been hoping their final warm-up game before heading to France would supply a measure of relief. Instead it merely yielded further indignity as they slumped to a fifth defeat in six Tests.

It was also their sixth loss in nine games under Borthwick and once again they looked anything but serious World Cup contenders. At least there were no red cards this time but rhythm was once again largely absent, Freddie Steward had a below-par day at full-back and the lack of hard-carrying ball carriers was another factor in England’s poor performance.

Their day started to unravel in earnest early in the second half when Fiji took the lead for the first time through their influential skipper and centre, Waisea Nayacalevu, and then extended their advantage through the left wing Vinaya Habosi and the boot of Caleb Muntz before defying a final-quarter England fightback.

It was all in stark contrast to South Africa’s tour de force against the All Blacks the previous day. In terms of compelling world-class quality this was like comparing a pork pie with a charging rhinoceros and for a long while England were grateful to a ninth-minute try from Jonny May, who left a flat-footed Selestino Ravutaumada trailing to score the first try by an English back in just over six hours.

It did not help greatly that Twickenham, for a prolonged spell of the first half, was close to becoming an aquarium. It was so damp that even the normally reliable Steward spilt a succession of high balls and Muntz’s first long-range penalty through the sheeting rain was an exceptional effort.

Fijia would have been ahead on the half-hour had the scoring pass from Ravutaumada to Nayacalevu not floated forwards, saving the blushes of a couple of would-be English tacklers. When Semi Radradra then bumped off Max Malins like a human skittle it was another indication that the visitors were increasingly upping the ante.

With the rain intensifying again, though, England’s rolling maul gradually became more of a factor. Saracens’ Eroni Mawi was sent to the sin-bin for illegally collapsing an ominous drive close the line but the depleted Fiji pack just about held out to trail 8-3 at the interval.

Nayacalevu’s score, cutting a nice line off the shoulder of Ravutaumada with his side down to 14 men, changed the mood again and worse was to follow for England when Habosi surged around the side of an unattended ruck to score Fiji’s second try. A Muntz penalty extended the margin to 20-8 and left England staring down the barrel.

Marcus Smith’s try, three minutes after coming on was blessed relief but the reliable Muntz landed his third successful penalty to put Fiji a score ahead once more. England hit back with a converted 68th-minute try in the right corner by the replacement Joe Marchant but a fumble in his own 22 by Danny Care put them straight back in trouble and Kuruvoli plunged over to make Pacific Island history.