HIGHLIGHTS: Bonus-point win for England in RWC opener

England forward Billy Vunipola says he had no idea his late try against Fiji had secured a World Cup bonus point.

The low point arrived on the half-hour mark when England crumbled five metres from their own line, enabling Fiji to pounce by spiralling a kick into the corner for Nemani Nadolo to score.

England were reprieved when referee Jaco Peyper belatedly deferred to the TMO after awarding a try to Nikola Matawalu.

“We definitely needed to come away from that with a bonus point, which we did”.

Burgess could push Brad Barritt, who was disappointing against Fiji, for a place but it is more likely that Farrell will push George Ford for the fly-half spot as England face a stormy and emotional match against their old enemy.

But the worry for head coach Lancaster is that the victory – which was in peril with England leading only 18-11 after 67 minutes – was finally achieved by players he sent to the rescue off the bench, not his starting XV.

Niki Goneva insists Fiji will draw on their spiritual strength when their “small island” turns its collective gaze to Twickenham for the biggest match in the nation’s rugby history.

Nevertheless the number eight said, “I was just more excited that I’d scored a try”.

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.

Fiji coach John McKee suggested England should have been unhappy with their performance and would need to improve to see off Wales and two-time champions Australia. It’s great to get the bonus point in the end, there are definitely things to work on but we move on reasonably happy. We have absolutely given everything to the cause, put ourselves through absolute torture in the gym and on the field.

“Three times we got caught out with some of the decisions, but a few times we need to be more patient rather than go for the jugular straight from the off. The Fijian boys did that very well, fair play to them”.

“Everything was going to plan and then quite quickly, just some loose play and ill-discipline, we lost control of it”, said May.

Stuart Lancaster’s men were efficient rather than spectacular, but steering their path around this banana skin piles the pressure on Wales and Australia, their front-rank rivals in the Pool of Death.