The Fiji national rugby union team put in a strong performance but fell 38-18 to England at Twickenham on Sunday, New Zealand Time.

With a narrow lead at half-time (14-13), and still only by three points (21-18) after an hour, England looked to their bench, which took control, and they pulled away in the final quarter.

The Flying Fijians started the match well after England scored early, with their big forwards and clever plays striking back with tries from captain Tevita Ikanivere and flyhalf Caleb Muntz.

England then got the advantage when Fiji’s Selestino Ravutaumada was yellow-carded for a mid-air challenge, giving England space to pull ahead.

Fiji’s head coach, Mick Byrne, admitted his team lost momentum when one of their tries under the posts was overturned. Halfback Simione Kuruvoli looked like he had successfully grounded the ball, but the TMO ruled he had lost it.

Coach Byrne told a post-match interview that England’s depth and ability to finish strongly made the difference.

Fiji defeated England for the first time, 30-22, in England's final warm-up game before the 2023 World Cup.

Ahead of Sunday's contest, Ikanivere highlighted the importance of focus and discipline: “At the end of the day, the main goal is to win… we don’t want to put too many emotions into it.”

Byrne praised England’s finishing ability. He says Fiji will now turn their focus to their next opponent, France, hoping to build on the positives: the strong start, big physical hits, and scoring opportunities.

But Byrne believes they will need to improve in a few key areas, like:

• Keep momentum when things go against them, especially when close and tight.

• Reduce mistakes under pressure, particularly when England had control of space.

• Convert scoring chances earlier to avoid having to chase late in games.

• If they sharpen those areas, Fiji can be competitive in their next match and perhaps upset the balance.

Watch Fiji Rugby Union Chairman John Sanday attend a Remembrance Day service in London ahead of the test match.

All Blacks hold off late Scottish surge

Earlier, the All Blacks exploded out of the blocks at Murrayfield Stadium, racing into a 17‑0 lead by half‑time. Tries from Cam Roigard and Will Jordan, converted by Beauden Barrett, had the visitors firmly in control.

But Scotland refused to lie down. The home side dug in after the break and clawed back momentum. Tries by Ewen Ashman and Kyle Steyn, and a penalty by Finn Russell, levelled the game at 17‑17 late in the contest. The McKenzie moment would soon arrive.

Despite being under pressure and reduced to 14 men thanks to three yellow cards, New Zealand held their nerve. The decisive moment came in the final minutes when McKenzie broke the deadlock with a brilliant try and added a long‑range penalty to seal the win. That kept the All Blacks’ flawless 33‑match record against Scotland intact.

For Scotland, it was a heartbreaking near‑miss. The effort was there; the belief was there, but key chances were squandered, including balls knocked on close to the line and penalties missed at crucial moments.

Coach Gregor Townsend admitted after the game that the early 17‑point deficit was the difference, while captain Sione Tuipulotu says this one "will be hard to digest".

The All Blacks will head to London next Sunday to face England at Twickenham, while the Scots take on Argentina at Murrayfield.

All Black Damian McKenzie, right, beats the tackle of Blair Kinghorn of Scotland to score a try at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland on Sunday (NZT). Photo/Photosport/Paul Thomas

Wallabies’ shock defeat against Italy

Australia have suffered a surprise 26-19 loss to Italy in Udine.

Italy came from behind, scoring twice in quick succession after the Wallabies had built an early 19-0 lead through three unanswered tries.

Italy’s flyhalf, Paolo Garbisi, nailed all his kicks and the home side held firm in the closing stages.

For Australia, this result raises serious questions. It was their second consecutive defeat on this tour and continues what has been a rough year overall.

Coach Joe Schmidt described the performance as unacceptable and pointed to discipline, breakdown work, and tiredness as major issues.

Coming up next is a big match against Ireland, so the Wallabies need to act quickly. Coach Schmidt will no doubt be looking at his boys:

• Sharpening their discipline: too many lost breakdowns and penalties hurt them.

• Maintaining focus for the full 80 minutes instead of slipping in the final quarter.

• Showing purpose in attack and defence, without relying only on early tries but sustaining pressure.

If they don’t address these issues, Australia risk more setbacks and falling further behind top-tier teams.

The All Blacks delivers a challenge at Murrayfield against Scotland. Photo/Photosport

South Africa recover to overcome France

The World Champion Springboks brought themselves back from being 14-6 down, even after the sending-off of powerhouse lock Lood de Jager, to beat France 32-17 in Paris.

France began strongly, with winger Damian Penaud scoring twice to become his country’s all-time leading try-scorer.

But France’s discipline collapsed: a string of infringements and the yellow card (and later red?) allowed South Africa to dominate the second half.

The Springboks exploited each error with clinical finishing - tries from Cobus Reinach, Andre Esterhuizen, Grant Williams and Sacha Feinberg‑Mngomezulu, plus the boot of Feinberg-Mngomezulu for two penalties and three conversions.

De Jager had spoken ahead of the match about anticipating a “very tough and direct battle” in Paris.

The match showed South Africa’s resilience and world-class depth: even when down in numbers and behind on the scoreboard, they can turn games around.

For France, it raises alarms: losing control of discipline and allowing a yellow/red card changed the flow and cost them the match.

The victory strengthens South Africa’s standing as reigning world champions and sends a message to all other teams.

Ireland power past Japan after slow start in Dublin

Ireland shook off a sluggish start to beat Japan 41-10 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

The hosts led 17-10 at half-time after a patchy opening 40 minutes, where Japan showed sharp attack and strong defence.

The Irish looked flat early on and made several handling errors, allowing Japan’s Kenta Kobayashi to score and keep the visitors in the game.

Coach Andy Farrell’s side found their rhythm after the break, scoring four unanswered tries to pull away in the second half. Jack Crowley, Nick Timoney and Andrew Porter all crossed the line before replacements Gus McCarthy, Paddy McCarthy, and Tommy O’Brien sealed the win.

Crowley also kicked well, finishing with a personal haul of 13 points as Ireland’s pack and replacements began to dominate.

Farrell admits the team was frustrated with their slow start but happy with how they finished.

Watch a try by Fiji captain Tevita Ikanivere against England at Twickenham below.

“We got a reaction at half time,” he told the post-match interview. “You can be short of confidence when things aren’t flowing, but we regathered ourselves.”

Irish winger Tommy O’Brien says the players “wanted to show the crowd we could finish strongly,” praising the energy and focus in the final 30 minutes.

The result gives Ireland confidence after last week’s defeat to the New Zealand All Blacks, but it also showed there is work to do before they face Australia next weekend.

Their set-piece and line-out remain inconsistent, and they can’t afford another slow opening against stronger sides.

Japan, meanwhile, will take heart from their first-half display - proof they can still trouble top teams when given space and tempo.

Meanwhile, Wales take on Argentina on Monday (6.10am NZT). Next weekend's Quilter Nations Series Autumn Rugby International fixtures: Sunday (NZT) - Italy vs Springboks, All Blacks vs England, Wales vs Japan, Wallabies vs Ireland, and Fiji vs France. Monday (NZT): Scotland vs Argentina.