Fiji vs England Nations Championship Tips - 11 July
Fiji host England at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool for Nations Championship Round 2. Odds, form and our picks.
- Fiji host England at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on Saturday 11 July, kickoff 15:10 SAST, in Nations Championship Round 2.
- England lost 45-21 to the Springboks last weekend and face fresh injury concerns, while Fiji were beaten 39-24 by Wales at Cardiff City Stadium.
- England remain favourites but the handicap and Fiji's tries markets look better value than the short moneyline price.
England arrive at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium under real pressure after a heavy 45-21 defeat to the Springboks, and now they face Fiji short of key personnel. We still expect England's forward depth to see them through against a Fiji side playing another "home" fixture on English soil, but this is not the routine win it looks on paper. Our lean is England to win with the handicap offering the better value than the moneyline.
The Pick Card
Prices from Hollywoodbets, Betway and Easybet could not be verified directly from the SA bookmaker sites at the time of writing, so the numbers below are market-representative prices and flagged as indicative. 18+. T&Cs apply.
| Selection | Bookmaker | Odds | Stake | Operator CTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England to win | Hollywoodbets | @1.06 (indicative) | 2 Units | Bet here |
| England -22.5 handicap | Betway | @1.90 (indicative) | 2 Units | Bet here |
| Fiji to score over 14.5 points | Easybet | @1.95 (indicative) | 2 Units | Bet here |
The Form Line
England were beaten 45-21 by the Springboks at Ellis Park, conceding seven tries and finishing the match with 13 men after two yellow cards, according to Sky Sports. It was a fifth straight Test defeat for Steve Borthwick's side, and the pressure is building heading into a match they are expected to win.
Fiji were beaten 39-24 by Wales at Cardiff City Stadium last weekend after a fast start that had the sides level 10-10 at halftime, per AFP. This is the second straight match Fiji play as the notional "home" side on a UK ground rather than in the Pacific, which continues to blunt any real home advantage.
Head to Head
| Fixture | Detail |
|---|---|
| Overall head to head | England lead the all-time series between the two nations by a wide margin |
| Most recent meeting | England won their most recent Test against Fiji |
England have historically dominated this fixture, and nothing in either side's round one form suggests that pattern is about to change.
Team News
England have lost wing Cadan Murley to a shoulder injury and prop Beno Obano to a hamstring problem from the South Africa defeat, with Northampton's Emmanuel Iyogun and back rower Chandler Cunningham-South called into the squad as cover, according to Reuters. Fullback George Furbank remains unavailable after appendicitis surgery, while Talking Rugby Union reports Freddie Steward is back available for selection after an ankle knock. Jamie George is expected to continue as captain, per The Guardian.
Verdict
England's forward pack and set piece should be too strong for Fiji even with the defensive personnel changes forced by injury. We like England to win and cover the handicap, while backing Fiji's attacking flair to get them over the tries mark given how porous both defences looked in round one.
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