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FIJI VS ENGLAND HISTORY

The Telegraph
Saturday, November 10, 2012

England has never lost to Fiji, but they've certainly had their share of scares against the islanders over the years.

England 45 Fiji 24

October 20 1999, Rugby World Cup play-off, Twickenham

Jonny Wilkinson scored 23 points as England laboured to a bruising victory over Fiji to book a tie with South Africa in the quarter-finals of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. England helped themselves to four tries but they were far from comfortable against a spirited Fiji team who breached the England defence for three tries of their own.

Coach Clive Woodward rested a number of key players in anticipation of victory and although his tactical gamble paid off the physical nature of the game meant he had a number of fresh injury worries at the final whistle.

Wilkinson's boot and first-half tries from wing Dan Luger and flanker Neil Back gave England a flattering 21-3 lead at half-time that failed to tell the whole story.

Twice Fiji knocked the ball on with the line at their mercy and they were far more penetrative than their illustrious hosts. Second-half tries from Nick Beal and Phil Greening extinguished the possibility of a shock result but Fiji refused to relent.

Viliame Satala exposed England's slack close-quarters defence in the 50th minute, before Imanueli Tikomaimakogai and Meli Nakauta crossed either side of Greening's try.

At the final whistle Fiji set off on a lap of honour before heading home as England's battered squad formed an orderly queue for the physiotherapist.

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Fiji 12 England 28

July 20 1991, Suva

Will Carling's team visited the Fijian capital and only just came out alive. With the scores level at 12-12 in the third quarter, everything England did turned to dust and they were staring down the barrel of a humbling defeat until luck twice intervened.

First, a horribly sliced clearance by England full-back Jon Webb deceived the Fijian defence and set up the field position from which Rory Underwood ran in a converted try.

Then, from the restart Fiji kicked the ball dead, allowing Rob Andrew to drop a goal. Andrew pounced upon a loose ball to score his first England try before the final whistle but this game could have finished so differently.

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England 58 Fiji 23

November 4 1989, Twickenham

Rory Underwood scored five tries to equal the record for the most scores in a single match by an England player as his side trounced 13-man Fiji in a highly eventful autumn international at Twickenham.

Underwood grabbed his first try in the first minute and from then on Fiji knew they had their work cut out.

Backs Tevita Vonolagi and centre Noa Nadruku resorted to dangerous tackling to stem the flow of England's attacking play and were given their marching orders by referee Brian Stirling.

Sixteen points from the boot of Simon Hodgkinson and additional tries from Micky Skinner, Mark Bailey, Mark Linnett, Paul Ackford and Jeremy Guscott handed England what remains their biggest-ever win over Fiji.

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Fiji 12 England 25

June 17 1988, Suva

England ended their disappointing tour of Australia and Fiji on a high note by outscoring the South Sea islanders three tries to one in a routine victory.

England had lost both Tests against the Wallabies and suffered the embarrassment of defeat to New South Wales.

But two tries from Rory Underwood, a score from centre Bryan Barley and 13 points via the boot of Stuart Barnes helped England claw back some respectability from their southern hemisphere visit.

The game was over as a contest once Barley touched down in the 72nd minute but Fiji allowed their frustrations to get the better of them when prop Mosese Taga was sent off for a punch on Gary Rees in the eighth minute of injury time.