Nations Championship - Fiji 8-73 England: Henry Pollock scores hat-trick as Steve Borthwick's side end five-Test losing run after Fiji red card

Henry Pollock scored three as England thrashed 14-player Fiji

Steve Borthwick's England snapped a run of five consecutive Test defeats with a 73-8 thrashing of 14-player Fiji in the Nations Championship at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. 

A dominant first-half display saw Marcus Smith and Jamie George score early tries - the opener after a bizarre corner flag assist - before Guy Pepper, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Gus Atkinson added further efforts with Levani Botia in the sin-bin for cynical play.

Janse van Rensburg - a controversial import from South Africa for whom England had to get World Rugby approval to select - scored with his first touch on debut, having come on while Henry Slade was undergoing a HIA.

Fiji appeared to have ended the half with a try through Kalaveti Ravouvou in the final play, but it was ruled out with scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli shown a harsh permanent red card for kicking out at Ellis Genge - referee Hollie Davidson and TMO Mike Adamson refusing to sanction Genge for holding onto the legs of Kuruvoli prior to the act.

Such an officiating decision rendered the second 40 minutes a virtual non-contest with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Pollock (hat-trick), Slade and debutant Noah Caluori each scoring after Tevita Ikanivere had crossed for Fiji's only try.

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In terms of why a Fiji 'home' game against England during a touring summer was played in Liverpool, the decision lay with Fiji's rugby union before the start of the Nations Championship - the feeling being they could make more money by staging their July contests in Europe.

Yet, Fiji struggled for possession and were second best to England's scrum, maul and defence in a first half which saw Fiji concede nine penalties, lose Botia to the sin-bin and, eventually, Kuruvoli for the remainder.

Smith's try in the sixth minute brought with it a hefty bit of fortune to get England going - Fin Smith sending over a cross-field kick which evaded the chasing Tommy Freeman, but struck the corner flag to run back infield for Marcus Smith to ground.

Marcus Smith scored the opening try in bizarre fashion after an assist by the corner flag

Following a long-range Caleb Muntz penalty, England had their second try through George via a dominant rolling maul drive, and were soon facing 14 players when Botia was shown yellow for diving over a ruck near his own tryline.

England captain Jamie George scored their second via a rolling maul

Pepper battled his way over nearly immediately, with former South Africa U20 centre Janse van Rensburg then diving over just 218 seconds after coming on as an HIA replacement for Slade and three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.

Atkinson scored England's fifth when collecting a Jack van Poortvliet offload before the break, with Kuruvoli then dismissed and Genge fortunate to avoid a sin-binning for provoking the kick out.

Back-row Guy Pepper crossed within moments of Fiji being reduced to 14 with Levani Botia in the sin-bin

The onslaught intensified in the second half even though Borthwick emptied his bench, with 19-year-old rookie Caluori touching down in the 65th minute and the rapid Pollock, another replacement, completing his hat-trick in the closing seconds.

England's 19-year-old debutant wing Noah Caluori fived over for a try in the second half

The victory was England's biggest since beating Chile 71-0 in Lille at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Relieved of the burden of their losing run, England head to Argentina for the climax to their July tour with renewed purpose but the Pumas at Santiago del Estero will prove a far sterner test.

'A clinic from England on how to beat dangerous opposition'

Former England international Danny Care speaking to ITV:

"England have put on a clinic today on how to win a Test match against a really dangerous opposition.

"They bounced back. They've improved in every aspect of the game that they did last week in South Africa.

"They were clinical, they played in the right areas and when they had opportunities to score, they did.

"And they had a bit of razzle dazzle at the end with Henry Pollock scoring his hat-trick.

"A great day for England and back to where they should be, back to winning ways.

"Next week becomes massive away in Argentina. That'll be a whole different level than what today was."

What's next?

England travel to face Argentina for their third Nations Championship fixture as they face the Pumas at Estadio Unico in Santiago del Estero on Saturday July 18 (8.10pm kick-off).

Fiji next face Scotland for their third Test of the summer, also on Saturday July 18, at Murrayfield in Edinburgh (2.10pm kick-off).