The quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup 2023 provided an intense encounter between England and Fiji. In a tight match, the English managed to qualify for the semi-finals, but not without difficulty.
From the start of the match, England took the lead by opening the scoring with a penalty from Owen Farrell. Manu Tuilagi quickly scored a powerful try to give the English a first advantage. Despite a few points scored by the Fijians thanks to penalties from Frank Lomani, the English managed to maintain their lead by scoring two more tries through Joe Marchant.
England’s strength lay in their forward pack, who were able to deprive the Fijians of balls and occupy their camp. However, the Fijians did not give up and took advantage of the temporary expulsion of Vinaya Habosi to score a try by Viliame Mata.
In the second half, England resumed the match at the same pace, looking to widen the gap. Unfortunately, despite their domination, they failed to score additional tries and settled for points. The Fijians took advantage of a few English errors to score two tries in five minutes and return to level terms.
The end of the match was tense and uncertain, but ultimately it was England who knew how to keep their cool. Under pressure, Owen Farrell scored a valuable drop in the 72nd minute to give his team the lead again. He then added three more points on a penalty, bringing his total to 20 points in this quarter-final.
This match was a real test for England, who had to fight until the end to qualify for the semi-final. They will now face the winner of the match between France and South Africa, a meeting which already promises to be full of suspense.
In conclusion, this quarter-final between England and Fiji was marked by intensity and suspense. The English finally managed to win thanks to their efficiency and their control, but the Fijians showed a good level of play and made their opponents doubt until the end. Rugby is a sport where nothing is decided in advance, and this match is the perfect illustration of that.