LIVERPOOL, England, July 11 (Reuters) - Second-half substitute Henry Pollock scored a hat-trick as England ran in 11 tries in a 73-8 thrashing of Fiji in their Nations Championship clash on Saturday, ending a run of five successive test defeats.
The result at the Hill Dickinson Stadium followed England's heavy defeat by South Africa in their opening Nations Championship game and a disappointing Six Nations campaign.
England were 35-3 ahead at halftime and took advantage of Fiji being reduced to 14 men for the second half after scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli was sent off for kicking out at England prop Ellis Genge and striking him in the chest.
England’s first-half try scorers were Marcus Smith, captain Jamie George, Guy Pepper, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Seb Atkinson.
Pollock (3), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade and Noah Caluori added second-half tries while Fin Smith, who had a commanding game at fly-half, kicked nine conversions.
Fiji’s score came from Tevita Ikanivere’s push-over try and a penalty kicked by Caleb Muntz.
England last won a test when they beat Wales early in the Six Nations and needed a statement victory, which they earned in style with their biggest win over Fiji, helped by the high penalty count against the islanders.
"It was an impressive performance. We had many strings to our bow," said England captain Jamie George.
"It has been tough and not a comfortable place to be," added Smith of their recent form. "We let the shackles off."
Fiji ceded home advantage for the fixture, as they did last weekend against Wales and will do next Saturday against Scotland due to financial considerations, and will have swelled their union's coffers with a crowd of more than 50,000, but it was England who were on the money from the start of the first rugby international held at the new Everton ground.
Marcus Smith’s opening try had an element of good fortune as Fin Smith’s kick out wide to Tommy Freeman went over the winger’s head but hit the corner flag, bouncing back into play, and it was quick thinking from the England fullback that secured a sixth-minute lead.
They never looked back after that, with debutant Janse van Rensburg scoring with his first touch after briefly coming on as an HIA (head injury assessment) replacement for Slade in the first half.
After the break, teenage winger Caluori marked his first test with a flying dive for a try, while Pollock outsprinted the Fijians with an impressive turn of pace when he came on and stole the second-half show with a hat-trick.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Atlanta; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Clare Fallon)
