Bonus point win for England in RWC opener

Lancaster said: “I thought Browny was excellent”. We have to be more direct, we were a little bit lateral.

By the end of the game, both teams had equally made mistakes and excited with their play.

“I think it is a big, big try in the context of the pool because bonus points are valuable and because subconsciously it puts pressure on the opposition”.

“Well we were getting ready and we weren’t able to warm up outside, so we had a change of routine and we were just warming up in our changing room”, he said.

“We’ll watch the game again, meet on Sunday and narrow down our selection next week”.

“We are going to have to improve on that performance”, Lancaster said.

Fiji first-five Ben Volavola landed a penalty in the 63rd minute to make it a seven point game, but from then on it was all England.

There is much for England to work on and they will be under pressure to start with Farrell against Wales while the scrum also needs sorting out.

25 teams from all over Europe, aged 35 and over, will come together in the spirit of the sport to celebrate rugby at amateur level throughout the weekend – see the schedule here.

He also featured in a short film shown to the crowd, in which a teenager, clutching a ball, runs out of the grounds of Rugby School passing two workmen – the prince and Jonny Wilkinson, England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winning hero.

“We’re hopeful that Chris will help take the side all the way”.

England led 18-8 lead at halftime and it was Fiji who took the initiative after the break by kicking a penalty. Billy Vunipola launches himself at the line and it’s a bonus point win.

But that didn’t deter the Fijians who kept coming at England, and once Matawala returned, he went so very close to scoring a great individual try, but failed to ground the ball properly.

The TMO, video referee Shaun Veldsman, was central to action throughout, making a series of spot-on calls, but which opened up fresh debate as to its use.

“The key messages are to play in the right areas of the field, trust the game will come to us and be more direct. We were too lateral in the first half and the players realised that”.

Fiji earned a try shortly after, though.

With England running on bewilderingly wearing its away strip in red, the game was on.

Ireland had 105 times-capped prop John Hayes, the All Blacks had former inspirational captain Sean Fitzpatrick, Australia Michael Lynagh – a victor in 1991, South Africa had Chester Williams the winger on the victorious 1995 side while Samoa were represented by current Connacht coach Pat Lam.