Pollock scores a hat-trick as England hammer Fiji to end losing streak

Henry Pollock scored a hat-trick of tries as England ended their five-match losing streak with a 73-8 Nations Championship rout of Fiji in Liverpool on Saturday. 

England ran in 11 tries in total as they bounced back from last week's tournament-opening 45-21 loss away to world champions South Africa, with Test debutants Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Noah Caluori among the try-scorers.  

Fiji had to play more than half the match down to 14 men after Simione Kuruvoli was sent off for kicking Ellis Genge shortly before the interval at the home of Premier League football club Everton.

Fiji trailed 35-3 when Kuruvoli departed, with South African-born Van Rensburg among the try scorers just 218 seconds after coming on as a head injury assessment replacement for Henry Slade, and three days after qualifying for England on residency grounds.

England coach Steve Borthwick, under pressure coming into this game, was able to empty his bench with confidence in the second half and 19-year-old novice replacement Caluori scored a try in the 65th minute.

Pollock, another replacement, completed his hat-trick in the closing seconds.

Fin Smith led an England attack that scored several fine tries after Fiji had been softened up by the pack and the fly-half was named man of the match.

England will now complete the July leg of the Nations Championship away to Argentina next weekend, with the Pumas set to provider far sterner opposition than Fiji, who were beaten 39-24 by Wales in their tournament opener. 

jdg/bsp

© Agence France-Presse