Mike Brown scored two tries to help England to a 35-11 victory over Fiji in the opening fixture of the Rugby World Cup.
The Red Rose settled the quicker and were 15-0 to the good inside the opening 23 minutes of the tense affair.
Fiji battled well, though, scoring their only try through Nemani Nadolo on the half-hour mark which left them with plenty of hope.
There was only seven points in it at one stage in the second half, but a star showing from Brown and a late try from Billy Vunipola rescued a precious bonus point for the tournament hosts.
Relive Sports Mole's live text coverage of the curtain-raising fixture at Twickenham below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the opening fixture of the 2015 Rugby World Cup between England and Fiji at Twickenham. That's right - the wait is finally over as the globe's top 20 sides face off across the next six weeks or so.
There is plenty to get through between now and kickoff at 8pm, including a run-down of each team competing in the showpiece tournament, so let's get straight into things by re-capping the team news for tonight's curtain-raising fixture.
TEAM NEWS!
ENGLAND STARTING LINEUP: Mike Brown, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph, Brad Barritt, Jonny May, George Ford, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Courtney Lawes, Geoff Parling, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Ben Morgan
FIJI STARTING LINEUP: Metuisela Talebula; Waisea Nayacalevu, Vereniki Goneva, Gabiriele Lovobalavu, Nemani Nadolo; Ben Volavola, Nikola Matawalu; Campese Ma'afu, Sunia Koto, Manasa Saulo, Apisalome Ratuniyarawa, Leone Nakarawa, Dominiko Waqaniburotu, Akapusi Qera, Sakiusa Masi Matadigo
England boss Stuart Lancaster opted to stick with a winning formula when announcing his starting lineup earlier this week, retaining the faith in those who battled hard to beat Ireland at Twickenham in the final pre-tournament warm-up. That means a place in the XV-man side for George Ford, while Joe Launchburry misses out in place of Geoff Parling at lock.
Fiji, looking to be real party-poopers this evening, include three British-based players in their starting lineup, meanwhile, with Vereniki Goneva, Nikola Matawalu and Leone Nakarawa all included for this Twickenham showdown. Elsewhere, Ben Volavola has been selected at fly-half despite picking up just five previous caps.
Well Sports Mole will have every angle of this tournament covered in full across the next six weeks. We have reporters in each host city to provide the low-down, including this evening where Callum Mulvihill has been tasked with watching on this intriguing opening fixture (well, someone had to do it...)
Pre-match thoughts of Callum Mulvihill, who is at Twickenham for us this evening:
"The build-up is almost over at Twickenham and the atmosphere is quite special already. Stuart Lancaster's side must now take on the responsibility of ensuring this optimism is followed by a confident display, but more importantly, a victory in the opener against the dangerous Fiji.
"England may start the game as firm favourites, but Fiji are quietly confident of shocking the hosts tonight. It could be a memorable evening."
This evening is all about the tournament hosts, of course, who will be desperate to kick their campaign off with a victory. The performance matters little with all the attention that comes with this opening fixture, with the points on the board very much all that counts at this stage.
Whisper it quietly, but England actually head into this tournament in a pretty decent shape. The lessons learned from four years ago, when off-field matters and bad performances on it saw them exit the competition at the quarter-final stage, will surely only help the class of '15.
England have contested each World Cup since its inauguration in 1987, reaching the final three times in total. They went all the way in 2003, of course, with that famous image of Martin Johnson lifting the Webb Ellis Cup high above his head one of the defining images of the sport in this country.
The mood inside the camp also looks pretty positive; one of the axed hopefuls Alex Corbisiero confirming just as much in a chat with Sports Mole earlier this month. The gruelling training, which has taken the Red Rose Stateside and back, has also gone a long way to getting each player in shape for the next six weeks or so.
Lessons would have been learned during the three warm-up fixtures, too, or 'Autumn Internationals' as we were constantly told to call them. Victory against Ireland last time out in particular would have given Lancaster's men plenty of confidence heading into the tournament on home soil, but a World Cup brings with it all sorts of additional pressure.
In terms of the 'visitors', they will simply be hoping for an improved performance from four years ago. Heavy defeats at the hands of Wales, South Africa and Samoa saw the Flying Fijians exit the competition at the pool stage, but they certainly should not be written off completely.
Uruguay appear to be the side who will prop up this Group of Death (every sporting tournament needs one), but as success in the Pacific Nations Cup goes to show, Fiji can provide some sort of threat. That said, you really would bet all you had on England getting the job done this evening.
Pre-match thoughts of Callum Mulvihill, who is at Twickenham for us this evening:
"Unpredictable seems to be the best word to describe Fiji. Make no mistake about it - this side has the ability to cause England plenty of problems and with so many players capable of popping up in different areas of the pitch, Stuart Lancaster's men must ensure they control the tempo with their defensive play. Nemani Nadolo is arguably one of the most exciting players in the tournament. His pace and power will catch the eye this evening."
And this is what they are all competing for - the glorious Webb Ellis Cup:
© Getty Images
A lot of the talk in the build-up to this one has centred around just how difficult it will be for heavyweights England, Australia and Wales making it beyond this initial pool stage. A run of barren results for the Red Dragons shortly before the draw was made in 2012 ensured that they temporarily dropped out of the top-ranked sides, leaving us with this almighty group.
There is always a risk of giving certain matches too much hype, but already there will be nerves around both the Welsh and English camps ahead of next weekend's meeting - arguably the biggest in the fixtures illustrious history. Warren Gatland pretty much confirmed as much earlier today when announcing his squad, where he omitted certain big-name players in preparation for the Twickenham showdown.
Any slip-up from Australia, England and Wales against Fiji or Uruguay will almost certainly prove fatal, with the Tri-Nations battle providing the most intriguing aspect of this pool stage. The southern hemisphere sides will have other ideas, though, looking to themselves pick up some points.
Away from Pool A, a lot of eyes will be on South Africa as they do battle against Scotland, Samoa, Japan and the USA. It is a group you would expect one of the pre-tournament favourites to storm through, while Scotland will also hope to navigate a safe path through to the final eight.
There is also a lot of focus on the perennial threat that is New Zealand, who enter this year's tournament with a few question marks over the heads of certain players. No doubt those questions will be answered with flying colours, but no side has ever retained the trophy. Could that be about to change?
The Kiwis have been pitted alongside Georgia, Tonga, Argentina and Namibia in a pool that should be a walk in the park for the favourites. Entering the competition as holders always offers additional incentive for others to up their game, however, which may prove New Zealand's downfall as we enter the latter stages.
Here is the scene from a little earlier inside Twickenham, as preparations ahead of the 8pm kickoff get into full swing:
Which leaves us with Pool A - another intriguing selection of teams which looks too tough to call. France, Italy and Ireland - three teams who know each other very well - will each face off, while Canada and Romania look to be making up the numbers.
Ireland and France are the favourites, setting up a potentially pivotal fixture in Cardiff in the final round of fixtures to decide who goes through as pool winners. Italy will have something to say about that, though, and they have picked up victories against both nations in recent times. Game on.
Right, the 2015 edition of Rugby World Cup is now just 10 minutes away! It is probably a good time to now turn attention back towards tonight's match, but before then let me point you in the direction of some last-minute pre-match reading.
PREDICTION! Okay, with kickoff now fast approaching it seems like a good time to offer a pre-match prediction. Fiji will be no walkovers, certainly compared to some teams taking part in this year's tournament, but even with all the potential nerves I cannot see anything other than a routine England win. 28-15.
The anthems have just been belted out around Twickenham, with the hairs surely standing up on the back of every spectators' neck.
Incredible atmosphere at Twickenham as the anthems are played prior to kickoff. #RWC2015 pic.twitter.com/PdjyEFeJte
— Callum Mulvihill (@CallumMulvihill) September 18, 2015
Incidentally, England are playing in their red strip this evening. We have already had the first tears of the tournament, provided by Nemani Nadolo during the Fiji anthem. Let's get down to business...
KICKOFF! Fiji get the 2015 Rugby World Cup underway. A superb atmosphere around rugby HQ this evening, which England can use to their advantage.
Outside-half Ben Volavola just seemed to take his eyes off the ball in the opening couple of minutes, fumbling the ball and gifting England a scrum.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 3-0 FIJI (FORD)
The first points of the tournament come from the boot of George Ford. A fold at the scrum allowed the fly-half to comfortably slot over to get the host nation up and running early on.
As if to highlight the fine margins of this competition - this sport, even - Fiji have come within the width of the post of getting off the mark. Barritt failed to roll away, but Ben Volavola could not capitalise.
A nervy start overall, but a fine catch from Watson certainly got fans off their seats. Nemani Nadolo was simply outjumped, but the move soon broke down and the wait for a first try goes on a little while longer.
Watson perhaps should have done a little better there having got the better of Nadolo. There have been plenty of errors thus far, which is mainly down to the wet conditions rather than any nerves.
PENALTY TRY! ENGLAND 8-0 FIJI
I was about to say this has become very disjointed, with the referee and TMO taking some time out to decide whether Waqaniburotu illegally dumped May, but in the end a penalty was all that was awarded. It mattered little, however, as a powerful rolling maul allowed England to push on and earn themselves an opening try.
CONVERSION! ENGLAND 10-0 FIJI (FORD)
Ford slots over the conversion and all of a sudden England find themselves 10-0 in front. The hosts would have taken that pre-match if offered to them. Can they now push on and punish 14-man Fiji some more? Scrum-half Nikola Matawalu was shown a yellow card for his illegal effort to make things look even bleaker for the southern hemisphere side.
Some good work from Ford relieves the building pressure. England now very much on top, having seemingly overcome any nerves that were in the system. The last thing they want to do now is allow their opponents into the game, though, so remaining professional is key.
Fiji have scored at least one try in each of their last 28 tests, incidentally, so this one is by no means over. A direct, charging run from Lawes got fans excited once more, but a knock-on brought that attacking move to an abrupt end.
Callum Mulvihill provides us with some more insight from high up in the Twickenham stands:
"England have certainly coped with the pressure well in the early stages of the match. The hosts look organised in defence and they have not allowed Fiji to launch any of their unpredictable attacks as yet. Matawalu is possibly slightly unlucky to be in the sin-bin, but England look in the mood to capitalise on errors this evening"
Watson so very nearly able to dive over on the right after Ford kicked into touch for an attacking lineout 10 metres out. Watson was just forced out of play, but the pressure is really building now.
TRY! ENGLAND 15-0 FIJI (BROWN)
England have capitalised on the man advantage, making the most of some sustained pressure and capitalising on yet another Fijian gift. The Red Rose stole possession and once the ball was in the hands of Brown he simply charged for the line and powered down for his side's second try.
Ford is unable to add the extras on this occasion, so just the five points for England. It is a lead that they have deserved, following an assured performance over the past 20 minutes or so.
TRY! ENGLAND 15-5 FIJI (MATAWALU)
Incredible scenes at Twickenham. Matawalu has just crossed over (more on that shortly), but a replay shown around the ground - just prior to the conversion being taken - has caused some doubt in the referee's mind...
TRY RULED OUT! ENGLAND 15-0 FIJI
Well there's your big talking point. It looked to be a superb try from Matawalu, who fresh from his stint off the pitch picked up the ball deep and charged down the flank. Only when the conversion was being prepared did the referee notice that Matawalu was not in full control when touching down, meaning that it remains 15-0. May and Brown to thank for that.
TRY! ENGLAND 15-5 FIJI (NADOLO)
They thought that had got off the mark just a minute or so ago, well they have now! England never truly recovered, despite the reprieve, and now Fiji are right back in the contest. Ben Volavola's cross-field kick was gathered by Nemani Nadolo, and there was no stopping him from that point on.
Volavola fails to convert, so it remains 15-5 at Rugby HQ with a little over half-hour played. Plenty of drama already in this World Cup!
PENALTY! ENGLAND 18-5 FIJI (FORD)
Nayacalevu being caught offside allows Ford to place the ball 30 yards from the sticks and, on the back of failing from that conversion a little earlier, this time he picks his spot perfectly. Further breathing space for the hosts.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 18-8 FIJI (NADOLO)
Anything Ford can do, Nadolo can do... better? It is an almighty boot from Fiji's flying wing to bring Fiji within 10 points once more. It has been awfully stop-start of late, but John McKee's side have benefited the most.
Mike Brown has since added try number 101 to this growing tally:
England have now scored 100 tries under Stuart Lancaster, the 100th coming by way of a penalty try.
#carrythemhome pic.twitter.com/ytScLEznE1
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) September 18, 2015
England's defence are under an incredible amount of pressure at the moment, as Fiji continue to build momentum. It is the visiting side who are on top, forcing their opponents right back onto their own try-line but failing to get that all-important try.
George Ford falls just short with his penalty from 42 yards, in what was the final action of this largely entertaining first half.
HALF TIME: ENGLAND 18-8 FIJI
It is England who take a 10-point lead into half time, then, but Fiji are the side who ended the half with all the momentum. The Red Rose will not be all that concerned, though they cannot afford to let performance levels slip following the restart.
Things started off well enough for the Red Rose, who settled quicker to race into a 15-0 lead at one stage. The kicking of Ford, combined with a couple of tries - the latter coming from Mike Brown - ensured that this one begun in the manner that many expected it to.
The big talking point came when Matawalu, back on the field of play following his earlier yellow, charged down the right and thought he had crossed over. A costly spill, which the match officials only actually saw on the big screen when the conversion was being readied, gave England a big reprieve.
Credit to Fiji, though, because they continued to build momentum and they were soon rewarded when Nadolo legally crossed over after collecting a cross-field kick under pressure. A try apiece for Ford and Nadolo in the final stages of the first half means that it is now 18-8, with this one still well alive.
Callum Mulvihill watched those opening 40 minutes up close inside Rugby HQ, so let's get his half-time views:
"England lead at the halfway stage, and it is difficult to argue that they do not deserve to be ahead. Fiji have made far too many mistakes and after months of being criticised for lacking a clinical edge, Stuart Lancaster's side have made the most of their opportunities.
It is far from over, though. Fiji showed flashes of what they can do when the game is played at their favoured tempo and Nadolo offered another reminder of his undoubted qualities to keep his side in the game."
RESTART! We are back underway at Twickenham. The first try of this half really will be massive, but which way will it go?...
© Getty Images
A positive start from a more direct England, but no way through in these opening stages of the second half. Fiji now looking to find some of that momentum that they lost over the interval. Incidentally, that first half lasted for 52 minutes due to the various TMO calls, so it could be a late finish in the capital.
Fiji are looking nice and composed at the moment, without making up a great deal of distance. A fine chipped kick in the middle of the park almost paid dividends, but a needless trip from Barritt in the middle of the park sees England concede another penalty.
Nadolo aims to split the sticks from the resulting penalty, only for his attempt to drift right of the target. No sign of that fourth try as of yet, in a stop-start opening to this second half.
Joe Launchbury is about to be introduced for England. It is worth mentioning that Fiji made a change at the break, with Cavubati coming on for Ratuniyarawa. An alteration - or three as appears to be the case looking at events on the touchline - will help freshen the home side up.
An England penalty culminates in Ford kicking in the direction of Watson, but the wing could not quite get to the ball. The Red Rose back on top, without causing too much danger, as we enter the final 30 minutes.
A quadruple change for England, then, as Launchburry, Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola and Wigglesworth are introduced; Youngs, Parling, Marler and Morgan the men to make way. Lancaster has shown his hand, hopefully this contest can burst back into life.
Launchbury makes himself known by smashing into Nadolo. England are showing signs that they are ready to up the ante, having been restricted in terms of points scoring so far since the restart.
Some more good work from Launchburry, with the replacement just shepherding Nadolo into touch when a dangerous attack could have been on the cards. A word on skipper Robshaw, who has so far put in more tackles (9) than any other Red Rose player.
Some more thoughts from Callum Mulvihill at Twickenham:
"It has been a bit flat from England early in the second half. They have slowed the game down too many times after pushing back Fiji, who continue to improve defensively.
"The changes from Lancaster should not come as a surprise. He has spoken about the depth of his squad many times, and the bench must now deliver the goods to extend this lead."
A back-row change for Fiji, as Waqaniburotu is replaced by Yato on the hour mark. A change for the hosts, too, with rugby league convert Burgess coming on for Barritt. Still yet to see a single point scored in this second half.
Nadolo could have made things very uncomfortable inside Twickenham, but he failed with his penalty attempt. Get all your money on this one finishing 18-8! Farrell is now also on the field in place of Ford.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 18-11 FIJI (VOLAVOLA)
Fiji finally register the half's first points thanks to Volavola's kicking, which drags them within one successful score of England. Fifteen minutes still to go, and the nerves will now be reaching their peak levels.
Burgess, on the field for just a few minutes, fell for Nadolo's dummy in the build-up to that Fiji penalty. Having missed four attempts already, it was left to Volavola to hold his nerve. A fascinating conclusion to this one awaits, but the hosts now have a penalty of their own in a good position.
PENALTY! ENGLAND 21-11 FIJI (FARRELL)
Farrell slots over with no mistake in his first big act since coming on, adding three points to England's tally. It could be a huge penalty in the long run, because Fiji are desperate for a second try.
The omens are not great, but England have not lost after holding a half-time lead of 10+ points since 2008 (vs. Wales)
1 - The only time #ENG have lost a RWC game after holding a half-time lead was in the opening game of RWC 1991 at Twickenham. Omen?
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) September 18, 2015
TRY! ENGLAND 26-11 FIJI (BROWN)
That should do it! A third try for England and a second of the evening for Brown. It was well worked from a Red Rose side that have been far from their best in this second period, with Farrell offloading before May popped up the ball for Brown to break the tension.
CONVERSION! ENGLAND 28-11 FIJI (FARRELL)
That successful Farrell pen all but confirms the win for England barring an almighty collapse, but they are now desperate for a fourth try and the bonus point that comes with it.
Callum Mulvihill gives us his final thoughts of the evening from Twickenham:
"England certainly needed that try. The nerves inside Twickenham were clear before Brown extended the lead. Fiji, like many teams before, have dominated England at the break down. That try could be the key moment though as the home supporters erupt in cheers of relief once again."
It is all one way traffic now as England close in on this additional point. It could prove decisive in the toughest of World Cup groups. It is becoming a little desperate, though, so a quick breather will do the Red Rose no harm.
One minute left to go and England have a line-out 10 metres out. There is one last chance in this, and the hosts really need to take it to secure a bonus point.
A phenomenal end to this one - my word! Brown was through, he collected the ball and was six metres from becoming a hat-trick hero. A superb tackle denied England their much-coveted fourth try, but it does not appear to matter as Billy Vunipola thinks he has touched down. It's over to the TMO...
The officials have spent a few minutes looking a this one, and it is still extremely tough to call. This is a huge decision in the context of Pool A...
TRY! ENGLAND 33-11 FIJI (BILLY VUNIPOLA)
The officials have indeed given the try, which is met with a huge cheer from home supporters. Still a conversion to come as we enter the fourth minute of additional time.
CONVERSION! ENGLAND 35-11 FIJI (FARRELL)
Farrell rounds off the scoring from England by successfully finding the target. That makes this England's biggest opening Rugby World Cup win.
FULL TIME: ENGLAND 35-11 FIJI
Well a thrilling end to the contest, which ends with England comfortable winners in the end. The victory was secured when Brown crossed over eight minutes from time, but it was not until the dying embers that they finally got the precious bonus point that was very much needed.
So England get their tournament off to a winning start at the expense of a Fiji side who looked like they were going to spoil the party at one stage. The Red Rose had to remain on guard with just seven points in it with 25 minutes left to play, yet it was job done in the end thanks in large to star man Mike Brown.
Well that brings to an end our coverage of the curtain-raising fixture of this showpiece tournament, but Sports Mole will be with you every step of the way over the next six weeks, so be sure to join us tomorrow with three more pool-stage matches to come.
Written by
Daniel Lewis
Daniel Lewis
