England vs Fiji LIVE: Rugby World Cup 2023 result and reaction after thrilling finish to quarter-final

England 30-24 Fiji: Owen Farrell kicked the vital points at the death to steer the Red Rose through to the semi-finals

Rugby World Cup: Prince William says he won’t let Wales’ Dan Biggar retire

England are through to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals after surviving a late Fiji comeback in Marseille.

Owen Farrell kicked the vital points required to steer Steve Borthwikck’s side through to a final four clash against either hosts France or defending champions South Africa, but only after Fiji levelled the contest at 24-24 with two quick-fire tries through prop Peni Ravai and flyhalf Vilimoni Botitu.

Fiji will rue three relatively simple shots at goal that were missed, as well as unforced errors that eased the pressure on England. Centres Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant scored first-half tries and Farrell was unerring with the boot, including a late drop-goal. England led 21-10 at halftime and looked in total control of the game for the first 60 minutes before holding off a stern Fijian challenge in the final quarter.

England reach their sixth World Cup semi-final and will go in search of a fifth final appearance when they meet hosts France or South Africa in the last four. They play later on Sunday in Paris.

Follow all the action from Marseille and get all the latest Rugby World Cup odds and tips right here:

England vs Fiji

• FULL TIME! England survive thrilling contest with Fiji
• England will face France or South Africa, who meet tonight in Paris
• REPORT: Owen Farrell silences critics as England survive Fiji fightback
• PENALTY! England 30-24 Fiji (Farrell, 78 mins)
• DROP GOAL! England 27- 24 Fiji (Farrell, 72 mins)
• TRY! England 24- 24 Fiji (Botitu, 69 mins)
• TRY! England 24-17 Fiji (Ravai, 64 mins)
• TRY! England 15-10 Fiji (Mata, 28 mins)
• TRY! England 15-3 Fiji (Marchant, 23 mins)
• TRY! England 8-0 Fiji (Tuilagi, 14 mins)

[15 October 2023 15:37 · Ben Fleming]

England vs Fiji

The Independent’s Harry Latham-Coyle is in position in Marseille for this game. He sends this in before kick-off:

"A notably less intense atmosphere at the Stade Velodrome today, with a slight dip in temperature and a rather pleasant breeze cooling the fans coming in. A few Fijian flags are fluttering but it's certainly a heavy English crowd - Steve Borthwick's players have talked about how their supporters lifted them after Tom Curry's sending off in their opening game against Argentina, and England will be hoping for something similar today.

“Can Fiji stun England again? There's plenty of energy about their warm-up, the entirety of Simon Raiwalui's squad charging about in some rather garish luminous orange shorts. England, conversely, are taking a more considered approach, engaging in a few final scrums and some kicks at goal - Owen Farrell, Marcus Smith, Elliot Daly, Ben Youngs and Freddie Steward were all testing their range."

[15 October 2023 15:33 · Ben Fleming]

Ben Earl: ‘It’s time for England’s big game players to turn up’

It has been an oft-raised question over the last four years during their muddled build-up to this World Cup - who are the world-class players in England rugby’s side? Many a rugby watcher has busied idle fingers by sketching out a composite World XV to busy idle fingers - few would have included a single Englishman among their dream 15 before this tournament.

England, it seems, have noticed.

“You see a lot of stuff on social media about world 15s and stuff and there’s probably not a huge amount of representation from England in that regard,” says flanker Ben Earl ahead of their quarter-final meeting with Argentina. “A lot of people don’t think there’s that many of us in there.

“It’s just an opinion, but at the same time we know the quality we’ve got and we know that on any given day, some of the players we have got on our team turn up and we become a very, very hard team to beat. It’s kind of now or never on Sunday.”

[15 October 2023 15:28 · Ben Fleming]

England must ‘rise to the occasion’ against Fiji to avoid World Cup nightmare

Steve Borthwick saw it coming. Immediately after Fiji beat England at Twickenham, his side sent off on their French adventure by a chorus of boos, Borthwick made a prediction. “We knew they were an excellent side,” the England head coach said. “I think they are going to do very well at the World Cup. There’s the potential we might meet them again in a few weeks’ time.”

And here we are, seven weeks on, with England ready to reacquaint themselves with Fiji on Sunday afternoon. This is a World Cup quarter-final that does not much look like a World Cup quarter-final – a team beaten by Portugal a week ago against one that could only scrape past Samoa by a single point in their final pool game.

Read the England head coach’s thoughts ahead of kick-off:

[15 October 2023 15:23 · Ben Fleming]

England ready to embrace being ‘public enemy number one’ to boost Rugby World Cup hopes

England number eight Billy Vunipola stressed that his side are happy to be “public enemy number one” when they take on crowd favourites Fiji on Sunday.

The Pacific Islanders are back in the last eight of the Rugby World Cup for the first time in 16 years, pipping Australia to progress from Pool C despite a defeat to Portugal in Toulouse.

That set up another meeting with a nation that Simon Raiwalui’s side beat for the first time in history two weeks before this tournament began.

[15 October 2023 15:18 · Ben Fleming]

England coach defends Owen Farrell selection ahead of Rugby World Cup quarter-final

England assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth has defended the under-fire Owen Farrell, suggesting that he will have a “massive impact” on their quarter-final against Fiji.

The England captain retained his place in the side for Sunday’s clash but is under scrutiny after a lacklustre showing against Samoa in England’s final pool fixture.

Farrell surpassed Jonny Wilkinson as his country’s leading test points scorer in the win, but the reuniting of the Saracen with old playmaking partner George Ford at ten and 12 failed to get England’s attack clicking as hoped.

[15 October 2023 15:13 · Ben Fleming]

Jamie George sends message to England teammates ahead of Rugby World Cup quarter-final with Fiji

Jamie George has urged his England teammates to channel the “emotion” of a pressure occasion as they take on Fiji in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup.

Many of the England squad have been drawing on memories of the knockout period four years ago, when a side then coached by Eddie Jones lifted their level to beat Australia and then New Zealand to reach the final.

George was a key figure in that side and remains of paramount importance to Steve Borthwick, with England’s lack of hooker depth a concern.

[15 October 2023 15:08 · Ben Fleming]

Joe Marler reveals why clubmate Marcus Smith will ‘thrive’ for England against Fiji

Joe Marler has backed Harlequins teammate Marcus Smith to “thrive” in England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Fiji.

Smith has been handed the biggest opportunity of his young career in Marseille, given only a second international start at full-back with Steve Borthwick making a significant selection call.

Freddie Steward had started 29 of England’s last 30 tests at the position, but Smith takes over after a series of impressive cameos at this tournament.

Marler has watched Smith’s development closely with both Harlequins in England, with the teenage star guiding his club to Premiership triumph in 2021.

The prop believes that there has always been something different about the 24-year-old.

[15 October 2023 15:03 · Ben Fleming]

England must stop Fiji’s ‘Demolition Man’ in crunch Rugby World Cup quarter-final

Fiji take on England in Marseille looking to advance to their first Rugby World Cup semi-final.

The Pacific Islanders last reached this stage in 2007, but will be confident they can challenge a side they beat in a warm-up fixture seven weeks ago.

The momentum England had built early in this tournament was somewhat stalled by a sloppy win against Samoa, but Steve Borthwick hopes a couple of bold selection calls will jolt his team back into life.

Here are three key areas that could decide the quarter-final:

[15 October 2023 14:58 · Ben Fleming]

England vs Fiji

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(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

[15 October 2023 14:53 · Ben Fleming]

Another chapter in the saga of Owen Farrell and George Ford as England make bold selection call

It is the boldest selection call of Steve Borthwick’s time as England coach so far. Up ratchets the pressure in quarter-final week, out goes the fly half who handled the intensity and scrutiny so well in England’s World Cup opener. After building a kicking strategy around a full-back with real aerial command, now comes a dramatic shift to a man of altogether different talents.

This feels a selection that will come to inform the public’s perception of Steve Borthwick as England coach – both at this tournament and beyond. If it goes well, both in terms of performance and result, it could solidify his standing as the man to take the team forwards, a calculated gambler with regardless of what follows at this tournament. If Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith falter, though, Borthwick will find himself under severe scrutiny.

Read Harry Latham-Coyle’s thoughts on England’s choice of personnel for today’s big clash: