In an enthralling Rugby World Cup opener, England managed to record a 35-11 victory over Southern Hemisphere opponents Fiji that has undoubtedly set the tone for a fantastic tournament to unfold over the next six weeks.
Below, we look at the five things that we learned from tonight’s game and look at what’s next for both sides:
1. England are far from the finished article
On paper the result looks a fantastic achievement for Stuart Lancaster and his side however the tale on the night was a far different story as England only managed to secure the bonus point in the final minute of the game when Billy Vunipola went crashing over the line as England pushed for their fourth try.
In the first half, England struggled to cope with the physicality of the Fijians and in particular Nemani Nadolo and only managed to put their first points on the board after scrum-half Nikola Matawalu was sin-binned for his actions in the lead up to the penalty try awarded in the 12th minute.
However, Lancaster’s conviction in his decision to make changes from the bench paid off as the introduction of Billy Vunipola, Owen Farrell, and Sam Burgess proved the difference as England went up another gear as England scored 14 points in the last ten minutes including a try from Mike Brown and Vunipola.
It is clear for all to see the depth of quality that the management team has at their disposal and there is no guarantee that every player that started tonight is set to start against Wales next Saturday, but there is also the lingering fear that Lancaster may not know his best XV with many still unsure on the experience of Burgess while Ben Morgan and Jonathan Joseph failed to impress.
Yet England have still managed to claim a bonus point, which by the end of the group stages, may be the difference between qualification and elimination.
2. Fiji cannot progress until they eliminate the aspect of poor discipline
Fiji’s poor discipline has almost become a defining aspect of their game and once again tonight it proved to be true as scrum-half Matawalu received a yellow card for his actions in the lead up to the penalty try awarded in the first half.
No one will have been more disappointed than his teammates, who had to brave the storm prior to his return to the pitch, which when it did finally come to that time, saw his side losing 15-0. Yet for much of the first half the visitors showed that they are no pushovers and managed to inject a sense of fear into the World Cup hosts who struggled to compete with Fiji’s physicality and found it difficult to break the gain line.
Yet the impact of the yellow card was much more evident towards the end of the game as a combination of fresh legs from the changes made by Lancaster and the tiredness of the defending team saw the hosts manage to notch up a number of tries as Mike Brown and Co. turned on the style to emphatically close out the game.
But if Fiji are to have any hope in qualifying from the group stages then errors such as these tonight cannot be replicated and not a single foot can be put out of line as Fiji now face an uphill struggle to overcome the likes of England, Australia, and Wales to reach the second round of the tournament.
3. National expectations will be England’s biggest stumbling block
Playing a World Cup in your backyard is always one of the highest achievements ever gained by any professional sports player and it will be no different for the England team, however, it can also prove to be one of the most daunting interactions ever faced by a player as the weight of expectation is readily placed on the shoulders of 15 players lining up to sing their national anthem in front of a capacity crowd of over 80,000 in Twickenham Stadium.
And nerves are not uncommon in a number of players – in particular, those who are making their Rugby World Cup debut, and it was apparent tonight that reality may have hit a number of English players in the first half as Lancaster’s men struggled to find their rhythm at times whilst a number of errors afflicted the side who could not take further advantage of the extra man advantage.
However the half-time whistle seemed to come at the right time as Robshaw led a rejuvenated side out for the second half who looked more composed and better prepared to attack Fiji’s weaknesses whilst the eventual second half changes proved to make the difference as the experience of Farrell and the Vunipola brothers looked to settle the side down whilst Brown flourished towards the end of the game – capitulating in two tries being scored.
Considering the upcoming fixtures for England it was perhaps the perfect fixture to officially kick off the tournament as a fixture against Australia or Wales is hardly welcoming without the added expectation of opening the World Cup.
Now that Lancaster’s men have not only won their opening game but also secured a bonus point the confidence will once again flow through the camp and the players who did not start will be itching to impress in training to earn a starting spot in their next fixture against Wales.
4. Fiji needs a goal kicker
Fly-half Ben Volavola will be kicking himself as he himself and Nadolo missed 11 points in total from the kicking tee and had those points gone over at the time then the outcome of the game could have been very different.
However, it was not to be and Fiji managed to record their lowest ever points tally against England in a test match with only 11 points on the board after Nadolo caught Volavola’s large cross-field kick in the first half whilst both players also managed to convert a penalty kick each.
Yet England will be relieved that their opponents were unable to capitalise on their missed opportunities as Matawalu also dropped the ball on the line after breaking free from a scrum whilst some resolute defending at times kept out the man many compared to Jonah Lomu in Nadolo and his side.
But Fiji must learn from tonight’s mistakes if they are to pick themselves up again and must ensure that they are able to convert all their opportunities against Australia on Wednesday.
5. The Rugby World Cup could be won or lost on a refereeing decision
Much was made before the game with the new introduction of refereeing decisions and, in particular, the new permissions given to the TMO. And in tonight’s game it was the first time that such decisions made by referee Jaco Peyper and his team of officials were under such heavy scrutiny.
Matawalu’s yellow card came from an observation made by the TMO whilst his disallowed try was originally given by the referee before changing his mind and reviewing the decision and ultimately overturning the decision.
Although many people are pleased that off-the-ball incidents will now be watched more closely and players will receive warnings and repercussions for their actions the game seemed to broken up at times as Peyper often seemed to move back to previous incidents and overturn decisions despite play having moved on.
And if this is the action that is expected in the remaining games during the World Cup then there is the real possibility that the tournament could be won or lost with thanks to a refereeing decision.
