England player ratings vs Fiji as Steve Borthwick's side ended their five-match losing streak with a bonus-point victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
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Steve Borthwick's side never really needed to get out of second gear but still managed to secure a maiden Nations Championship win in Liverpool.
England made a flying start, scoring after five minutes when Marcus Smith capitalised on Fin Smith’s crossfield kick that fortunately bounced back in off the corner post.
Jamie George added a second from a driving maul, before Guy Pepper powered over to extend the lead after sustained pressure.
Debutant Benhard Janse van Rensburg marked his unexpected early introduction, following Henry Slade’s HIA, with a close-range try. Seb Atkinson then crossed before half-time, giving England a commanding 35-3 lead at the break.
Fiji nearly narrowed the deficit before half-time, but Kalaveti Ravouvou's disallowed try led to a red card for Simione Kuruvoli for kicking Ellis Genge.
Tevita Ikanivere scored early in the second half, but Immanuel Feyi-Waboso quickly replied. Henry Pollock made an immediate impact off the bench, before Henry Slade crossed to take England past 50 after Noah Caluori's pass.
Caluori then scored himself, with Slade adding a try and Pollock scoring his hat-trick right at the end to secure a 73-8 victory.
Nations Championship: Fiji 8-73 England
England player ratings vs Fiji
15 Marcus Smith — 7
Scored the opening try with a simple finish after being in the right place. Slipped in the build-up to Kalaveti Ravouvou's disallowed try, leaving him with little chance of making the tackle.
Showed impressive pace from deep and looked surprisingly comfortable after switching to scrum-half.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Marcus Smith of England celebrates after scoring their team's first try during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Fiji and England at Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger - Nations Championship/Getty Images)
14 Tommy Freeman — 6
Had a pretty quiet afternoon and was given very little service throughout. Nearly scored the first try, but the ball evaded him, and he wasn't given much beyond that. A few kicks out to him helped England get up the pitch, and he was solid when called upon.
13 Henry Slade — 7
Controlled play well and showed good pace when needed. Produced a clever kick through that should have resulted in a Ben Earl try. Went off for an HIA on 31 minutes, returned after half-time after passing it, and capped his performance with a second-half try.
12 Seb Atkinson — 7
Even if it wasn't his best game against the Springboks last week, the Gloucester centre redeemed himself by showing both the defensive and attacking qualities that earned him an England shirt.
A strong tackle on lock Tevita Ratuva set the tone early on, before a simple score from close range gave his side their fifth try of the afternoon.
11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso — 7
Quiet for long periods but made a big impact with limited opportunities. Carried strongly before half-time, was reliable under the high ball, and finished clinically in the corner after the break to make the most of his chances.
10 Fin Smith — 9
Played with confidence and attacking intent, using smart kicking to create chances, most notably with dangerous cross-field kicks to Tommy Freeman and a fortunate kick that rebounded off the post into Marcus Smith's hands for the opener.
Defended well with a strong tackle on Kalaveti Ravouvou, showed good intensity throughout, and while his goal-kicking wasn't flawless, it was solid overall. Rightfully awarded Player of the Match.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Fin Smith of England successfully kicks a conversion, after Marcus Smith of England (not pictured) scored their team's first try during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Fiji and England at Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger - Nations Championship/Getty Images)
9 Jack van Poortvliet — 7
Didn't do anything particularly badly, but perhaps could have been criticised for kicking a little too much. Grabbed a fine assist for Seb Atkinson, offloading while being tackled. Was decent, but somewhat quiet during his 50-minute cameo.
1 Ellis Genge — 8
England's scrum was absolutely dominant, and Genge was a key part of setting the platform early on, driving the first few scrums backwards and winning a couple of penalties in the process.
Although he didn't do much around the park, he can be credited with winning the red card after Simione Kuruvoli kicked him in the chest.
2 Jamie George — 7
Made a strong tackle to stop a Fiji attacker in the corner before getting the crowd going afterwards. Grabbed a try from the back of the maul, worked well at the breakdown, and threw accurately when given the chance at the lineout.
3 Joe Heyes — 8
Another who deserves huge credit for bringing power at the scrum, Heyes was completely dominant and always looked in control. The Leicester Tigers prop can be forgiven for not being involved much around the park, such was his dominance at the set-piece.
4 Alex Coles — 5
Wasn't hugely involved. Good in the air at lineout time, but beyond that didn't have much to do.
5 George Martin — 5
Following on from a strong showing against the Springboks last week, Martin didn't really have much opportunity to get involved this time around. A smart lineout take at the front was about all he showed before coming off shortly after the break.
6 Ollie Chessum — 7
The Leicester Tigers forward was solid, although he didn't have much to contribute defensively, which was a reflection of England's dominance. Got outmuscled slightly by Lekima Tagitagivalu ahead of Fiji's first try, in a minor blemish on an otherwise strong shift.
7 Guy Pepper — 7
Another forward who did what was required, but overall had a fairly quiet game. Did get himself on the scoresheet after powering his way through several bodies from close range.
8 Ben Earl — 7
Unsurprisingly topped the charts for carries, as he so often does, although beyond that he didn't have to do much defensively. Should have finished off a try after a clever kick through from Henry Slade but knocked the ball on.
Replacements
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie — 7.5
Made an immediate impact, scoring seconds after coming on. Offered plenty with ball in hand through strong carries and looked to provide more attacking threat than Jamie George.
17 Asher Opoku-Fordjour — 6
18 George Kloska — 6
19 Tom Curry — 6
20 Henry Pollock — 8.5
Made an instant impact off the bench, scoring moments after coming on before adding a second with outstanding pace. Brought energy and attacking spark, stretching Fiji's defence every time he got involved. Secured the hat-trick seconds before the final whistle, outlining how effective he is.
Has surely earned himself a start against Argentina next week.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Henry Pollock of England (L) celebrates after scoring their team's tenth try during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Fiji and England at Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by George Wood - Nations Championship/Getty Images)
21 Alex Mitchell — N/A
Came on before going back off just a few minutes later. Presumably felt a twinge, as he is still returning from injury.
22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg — 7
Marked his debut with a try less than four minutes after coming on, showing sharp instincts from close range. His first spell was cut short at half-time after replacing Henry Slade for an HIA, but he returned later in the second half.
23 Noah Caluori — 7
Made an immediate impact, setting up a try with a well-timed inside pass before scoring himself with an acrobatic finish in the corner after being released into space.
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