Rugby World Cup Results 2015: England vs. Fiji Score, Report and Reaction

Mike Brown scored two tries as England beat Fiji 35-11 to get their Rugby World Cup 2015 campaign off to a winning start with a maximum five points.

A penalty try and a try from Brown put England ahead in the first half, before Nemani Nadolo went over for Fiji.

Brown then went over late on before Billy Vunipola sealed the bonus point with the last act of the game to round out the win.

George Ford drew first blood after just three minutes as he converted a penalty after England turned a Fijian scrum.

England put Fiji under some early pressure on the back of the penalty, and it told less than 10 minutes later as they were awarded a penalty try following a powerful rolling maul, per ITV Rugby:

Ford duly made the conversion, and midway through the half, he went over without the help of the referee.

The hosts began with Brown at full-back, and Stuart Lancaster was rewarded for his selection as the 30-year-old scored the try after England worked the ball wide at speed:

Fiji thought they'd reduced their 15-0 deficit just minutes later as scrum-half Nikola Matawalu touched down under pressure from Brown. The referee awarded the try but witnessed the moment replayed on the screen inside Twickenham, just as Fiji prepared to take their conversion. He eventually reversed his decision:

Fiji earned a try shortly after, though. Ben Volavola launched a magnificent cross-field ball to Nadolo, who leapt high in the air to beat Anthony Watson to the ball:

OptaJonny highlighted the winger's incredible form:

Penalties for both sides ensured the teams went into half-time at 18-8.

Former England player Brian Moore and ESPN's Tom Hamilton noted the controversy over the use of the television match official, which had been used heavily so far in the proceedings:

The hosts struggled to replicate their earlier tempo in the first half, and it took until after the hour mark for more points to be registered, with Fiji claiming another three thanks to a Volavola penalty.

Substitute Owen Farrell hit back immediately after Fiji carelessly gave away a penalty of their own between the posts for offside.

With eight minutes remaining, Brown scored his second try of the game. Jonny May and Farrell made excellent headway down the left-flank, and the latter offloaded to Brown with an exceptional pass under pressure:

Desperate for the bonus point, the hosts pushed forward in numbers as the clock ran down, with Brown and May again coming close, but Vunipola succeeded in powering over the line:

England were deserved winners but were far from their best in this opening match, as they lacked fluidity in attack for significant periods, despite scoring four tries.

Lancaster's side will need to step up their performance against the likes of Wales and Australia if they're to qualify from Pool A, but the most important thing was to get points on the board early on, and England did just that.

Post-Match Reaction

Per BBC Sport's Aimee Lewis, Lancaster admitted there was some tension in his side. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It was a big occasion and there were a few nerves. We got a good lead but didn't put the nail in the coffin. We had to work hard and that last try late in the game was a massive relief. I don't think we were ever going to be on the end of a hiding at 18-11 but it was nervy."

Lewis noted captain Chris Robshaw's reaction, as he hailed the bonus point: "The bonus point might be hugely important. We knew it would come down to the last five or 10 minutes because Fiji were hard to break down."

He also reiterated Lancaster's assessment: "With the emotion of the opening ceremony and the nerves now we're into it, the opening game can be edgy, and you have to give a lot of credit to Fiji, we knew it was going to be tough."