"Arundell is Back!" - 5 Things You Missed: England v Fiji - Autumn Nations Series

England won five matches last year, beating Japan twice, and only beating Ireland, Wales and Italy by three points or less, losing their other seven games. Particularly in that autumn, the England of 2024 had developed a habit of losing games in the final quarter, after spirited showings in the opening 60 minutes. But in 2025, Borthwick’s vision for England is clearly taking shape.

Not only have England won nine matches in a row, almost doubling last year’s record with two matches to play, their final quarter flourishes are a site to behold. England’s greatest weakness last year, their bench, has now become their biggest weapon. The so-called ‘Pom Squad’ have scored 27 combined unanswered points in the final 20 minutes of their last two test matches alone. England are not the finished article yet, but their direction of travel is incredibly positive.

Much was made of Arundell’s return to English rugby from Parisian giants Racing 92, but few could have anticipated how he would announce his return to the international stage. A crossfield kick from Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula bounced into the arms of Marcus Smith, and he duly grubbered the kick downfield.

Despite the best efforts of Kalaveti Ravouvou and Sireli Maqala to get back, Arundell skinned both of them, showcasing his electric pace as he started off significantly behind, and scored England’s fifth try with his first touch in international rugby in two years.

This mirrors the speedster’s debut off the bench in 2022 vs the Wallabies, where he broke through the tackles of Noah Lolesio and Andrew Kellaway, before sidestepping James O’Connor to score a try with his first touch of the ball in international rugby. Arundell is back with a bang, and gives Steve Borthwick a back three headache with the likes of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, Tom Roebuck, Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith all in contention to face the All Blacks.

Sowakula was not initially named in the Fiji matchday squad, but was drafted in to start for his Fijian debut in place of injured blindside flanker Kitione Salawa at the last minute. Sowakula has had an unconventional route to the Fiji squad, having been capped by the All Blacks twice in 2022 before being cast aside, and he qualified to play for the nation of his birth earlier this year, following his three year stand down period from the All Blacks.

This may have been his Fiji debut, but you could not tell. The 31 year old Clermont player was everywhere, playing the full 80 minutes in a performance that saw him produce multiple destructive interventions in both attack and defence, as well as showing his soft hands to Simione Kuruvoli in the build up to Caleb Muntz’s try. Sowakula was in contention for player of the match, and should retain his place as the Flying Fijians travel to take on France in Bordeaux next week.

With Willis the man in possession of the England 8 shirt after some commanding performances over the last 12 months, the rugby world was shocked when he chose to sign for Bordeaux and put his England career and World Cup dreams on hold. Luckily England’s options at 8 have since taken this as an opportunity to stake their claims for Willis’ jersey.

Chandler Cunningham-South started at 8 vs Fiji and was aggressive with ball in hand throughout the contest, and gave England’s set piece another dimension as a third lineout jumper, securing his side clean possession. Ben Earl, at 7 but equally adept at the back of the scrum, was named player of the match for the second week in a row, showing his trademark athleticism and work rate yet again. Henry Pollock also showed his credentials at 8 too, with a pick from the base sparking an England attack and showcasing his evergrowing skillset as an international number 8. One thing is for sure, Borthwick has a gluttony of riches to pack down at 8 in Willis’ place.

38-18 seems like a very convincing scoreline on paper, but a score of 21-18 with twenty minutes to go tells a story of a Fiji team that went toe-to-toe with the fourth best side in the world, before England’s superior strength in depth allowed them to turn the screw in the final quarter. As well as the individual efforts of the Fiji players on the pitch, credit must also go towards Fijian Drua.

16 of the 23 that took the field for Fiji currently play for, or have played for the Fijian Drua, the Super Rugby side created by the Fiji Rugby Union in 2017. With players from the Drua forming the spine of the Fiji team, their chemistry from playing together all season long has allowed them to grow together as they build for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The positive impact of the Drua, combined with a comprehensive pre World Cup camp in 2027, will make Fiji an even harder team to beat in two years time.