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

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."

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.”

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

Just over an hour to go now...

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: