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England Crush Fiji 66-8 to End Losing Streak

BBC Sport •
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England routed Fiji 66-8 at Hill Dickinson Stadium to snap a five-Test losing streak, their worst run in two decades, before a crowd of 50,209 in Liverpool. Replacement Henry Pollock seized the spotlight with a second-half hat-trick, taking his Test tally to six tries in 12 appearances — all but one off the bench. The scoreline flattered England only marginally; Fiji played the final 40 minutes a man down after scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli earned a straight red for kicking out at Ellis Genge.

The hosts struck early through Marcus Smith's opportunistic finish off a fortunate bounce, then Jamie George powered over from a driving maul. Guy Pepper and debutant Benhard Janse van Rensburg added tries before the break, while Seb Atkinson's footwork made it 35-3. Fiji's lone response came via captain Tevita Ikanivere, but Pollock's arrival transformed a procession into a rout — he won a footrace to a kick-through, outpaced Salesi Rayasi on an arcing run, and pierced a exhausted defence for his third in the final minute.

Teenage Saracens wing Noah Caluori also marked his debut with a try, capping a night where England's attack finally matched their rhetoric. Yet the victory's true value remains suspect against a Fiji side devoid of cohesion, their once-formidable back row neutralised and scrum disintegrating. Steve Borthwick now faces a sterner examination in Argentina next weekend, where Pollock's impact from the start will be tested against a side unlikely to gift the space Liverpool provided.