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![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
Two impressive tries from full-back Mike Brown plus a crucial injury-time score from replacement forward Billy Vunipola steered hosts England to a comfortable 35-11 win over Fiji in the opening game of Rugby World Cup 2015 on Friday.
The 30-year-old Brown, a constant danger with his running from the back, finished off clever passages of back play in either half to take the man-of-the-match award.
But after England were also given a penalty try early in the first half, the dramatic late effort from number eight Vunipola sealed a bonus point for four tries which could prove important in the toughest pool in the competition.
BIGGER CLASHES AHEAD
Pool A also includes Wales and Australia, both semi-finalists at Rugby World Cup 2011. England wanted to come away from the opening game with as many points as possible with bigger clashes ahead. Fly-half George Ford kicked two penalties and a conversion while his replacement, Owen Farrell, slotted over seven points with the boot to complete the win.
Fiji made life difficult for England at times and the game would have been much closer if their goalkickers Ben Volavola and Nemani Nadolo, who also scored Fiji’s only try, had not missed four kicks between them.
The match began in drizzle, which made handling difficult, but England decided against playing safe, dismissing the idea of a tight, forward game and immediately moving the ball wide as often as they could.
ILLEGAL DEFENDING
After an early Ford penalty, the hosts were awarded their penalty try after 13 minutes when Fiji were penalised for illegally stopping a fast, rolling maul on their own line. Fiji scrum-half Nikola Matawalu was sent to the sin bin by South African referee Jaco Peyper for his part in the offence.
England’s second try, by contrast, was the result of a piece of brilliance from centre Jonathan Joseph and great finishing from Brown. The England backs moved the ball wide to the left and Joseph took and gave an over-head pass in one movement to set Brown free to score.
After returning from the sin bin, Matawalu went desperately close to scoring when he danced around England winger Jonny May near the halfway line and sprinted down the touchline. But the scrum-half was judged by the TMO to have knocked the ball forward as he touched down.
SUPERB COMPOSURE
Just a few minutes later, Fiji did grab their first try when Nadolo showed superb composure to catch a high, wide kick from fly-half Volavola in the left-hand corner.
But England still took a 18-8 lead into half-time and, after both teams traded penalties, the hosts took control of the game in the last 10 minutes following a tight period early in which Fiji frustrated the hosts.
After a handling move down the left-hand touchline involving Joseph and May, Brown ran a clever line to take a short pass from Farrell and score. England refused to stop chasing the fourth try and Vunipola crashed over from close range. The final try was nowhere near as spectacular as Brown’s efforts but it may prove to be decisive in the pool.
http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/93151
Dear Lord, if you give us back Johnny Cash, we'll give you Justin Bieber.
Either Fiji played really well or England will have to lift considerably to be considered a threat in this tournament.
Let's give them the benefit of the doubt that they used the game to blow out some cobwebs and they will be better for the run.
Biggest shame for me was that we had to have the Fox Aussie commentating clowns.
Agree with you on that last one Ecky!! Had to mute them as usual :-/
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Wish we could mute swing low, most disrespectful to Fiji during Cibi
If Fiji had kept the ball in hand a bit more could have been a different outcome. England wont get away with ignoring several overlaps when they play either Aussie or Wales. Dan Coles is a myth and looks very underdone,lying at the back of rucks 4 or 5 times. The importance and lack of having a genuine openside was very obvious.
Would hope they have something else hidden away otherwise they are gonemiester.
Wests Scarborough 1st Grade juggernaut has played finals rugby each and every year since its inception and continues this remarkable feat yet again this season and unbelievably it's still rolling on and as an added little circle jerk for the masses Wests actually hold the record for the current longest unbroken finals record.
Biggest shame for me was that England were allowed to scrape a bonus point after playing like busteds. And that after a blatant knock-on at the back of the ruck a few phases previous to the last try. Bugger!
P.S. Heard Martin in a radio interview yesterday. "I can't understand playing Sam Burgess. He just crashes the ball up and can't off-load". Wrong as ever.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
English first try(penalty try)was bullshit.Clear case of truck and trailer.Should have been a Fiji penalty
Jaco seemed to be all over the shop; and the TMO couldn't shut up. This RWC is going to be full of reviews & replays.
As well as silly penalties for stuff that should also be let go but the TMO has already stopped play so they had better award a penalty
Hope you're not going on a seafood diet. You'll starve.
But seeing as I know how interested you are in the progress of the Mungo code hoppers, I've got a tip for you. I heard a rumour that there's one trying to play in the NFL. They are trying to keep it under the radar but you heard it here first.![]()
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
And what happened to the new law of if you attack an opponents head during a maul its yellow?
Will only apply to All Black heads, protected species
Had to endure pom my commentary via Mackay GEM on Hamilton Island, only slightly more bearable.
Nice golf course here Gunny, almost a pleasure to be in the sand!
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
no doubt nice wildlife too