England know how they want to play and they’re sticking with it. They average 33.8 kicks in play per game which is the most of any of the eight teams, and that in turn gives them the highest percent of possession kicked away (68%). Given the amount they kick, they therefore are lacking in most areas of attacking play.
They have made the second-fewest carries (108.8) for the second-fewest metres made (461.3), they rank sixth for defenders beaten (22.5) and are bottom of the pile for offloads (5.8).
However, George Ford showed in England’s first game against Argentina that you don’t need to be near the opposition try line to score points. On top of that they have a solid scrum which is operating at 95 per cent, which puts them second in that department, and their kicking game still equates to ranking second for positive outcomes of their possessions (74%). While their game plan may not entertain the English fans all that much, it’s brought the team success and therefore they’re unlikely to change that formula.
Conversely, and to the surprise of absolutely nobody, Fiji are running with the ball a lot. They average the most carries per game (139.5), the second-most offloads (11.3) and third-most metres made (570.5). One area that is a bit of a shock, though, is the fact that they are second from bottom for line breaks, with just five per game on average.
However, they’ve also shown that their game has evolved. They’ve won the most turnovers on average (8.0), with a high proportion coming from the breakdown. They also play with good discipline, conceding the second-fewest penalties (8.8), and their scrum success (92%) is only just behind that of England.
"The quality behind the [Fiji] scrum puts the fear of god into any Test side,” Welshman Roberts said. “How do you prepare against that in the week? Defensively you are facing Fiji scrums, whether they are in your own half or in their own 22, the capability of the strike runners is absolutely frightening.”
In boxing they say that styles make fights, and this game has all the elements to test that theory on a rugby pitch.
