England run in nine tries against Fiji but defensive faultlines show

Eddie Jones makes it 12 wins from 12 as Elliot Daly displays his versatility

England winger Semesa Rokoduguni  runs in  to score their third try against Fiji at Twickenham. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
England winger Semesa Rokoduguni runs in to score their third try against Fiji at Twickenham. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

England 58 Fiji 15

England swept aside Fiji 58-15 to extend their triumphant run to 12 Tests, but the defensive frailties evident at Twickenham will have concerned head coach Eddie Jones.

Nine tries were amassed in the second autumn international with Jonathan Joseph, Semesa Rokoduguni and Joe Launchbury crossing twice and with less than half an hour on the clock England had surged 34-0 ahead.

A passive Fijian defence waved them through at every opportunity, but either side of half time it became the hosts' turn to crumble as Nemani Nadolo, Leone Nakarawa and Metuisela Talebula plundered soft tries.

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Owen Farrell became only the second England player to pass the 500-point mark with his haul of four conversions and a penalty on his 45th Test appearance lifting him to 508, in pursuit of Jonny Wilkinson's 1,179.

Jones’s winning run now reads a perfect 12 matches, but in Argentina and Australia there are far tougher challenges to come, South Africa having been over-run 37-21 in the opener last Saturday.

Daly emerged as the star of England’s record victory over Fiji in seven meetings, celebrating his second Test start by proving he is as comfortable on the wing as at outside centre with a brilliantly-taken try that tied Fiji in knots.

The jury remains out on Rokoduguni, who was winning a second cap having made his debut two years ago, with the Bath flier looking sharp in attack but leaving question marks over his defence.

It took less than four minutes for England, clad in their anthracite change strip, to storm ahead with Joseph slipping over after Mako Vunipola had used a combination of footwork and power to force Fiji backwards.

Chris Robshaw’s ability to strip the ball in the tackle led to the second try as the hosts counter-attacked with ruthless efficiency, galloping upfield before Ford picked out Daly who danced over.

England were irrepressible as they poured through the gaps before them and in the 13th minute they crossed for a third time when intelligent running from Daly and Goode sent Rokoduguni over.

Having dazzled their way over the try-line thus far, the Grand Slam champions selected the bludgeon from their armoury with Teimana Harrison and Launchbury touching down from line from line out drives.

The avalanche of points was interrupted as Fiji conjured a well-worked try, using their forwards to drive through the middle before exploiting an overlap with wing Nadolo crossing in the left corner.

And a second was delivered on half time after completion of a smart attack, although England should not have allowed lock Nakarawa to twist over so easily.

Whatever Jones said at half-time had little impact as Fiji took just three minutes to run in their third try and once again the home defence was exploited far too easily.

Captain Akapusi Qera muscled his way upfield and in a flash fullback Talebula arrived on an arching line that swept him over the whitewash, in the process beating lame tackles from Dylan Hartley and Billy Vunipola.

Hartley had a try disallowed for obstruction from Mako Vunipola, but with half an hour remaining England added their sixth after a devastating run from Rokoduguni that should have finished with Daly going over, instead ending a few phases later when Goode scored his first international try.

Joseph picked off an intercept after a wild pass by Josh Matavesi and with England's superior fitness beginning to tell, Ford sent Rokoduguni strolling over to complete the scoring.