England captain Chris Robshaw hails 'hugely important' bonus point

Chris Robshaw believes a last-minute try from Billy Vunipola could be vital as England plot their escape from the Group of Death.

The World Cup hosts got off to a less than impressive start to their campaign with a 35-11 win where the scoreline flattered a side that did not exert its superiority for much of the tie.

However Vunipola’s dramatic late dash to the line, awarded after being referred to the television match official, gave England a bonus fifth point that could prove vital ahead of games with Wales and Australia.

The England captain told BBC Radio Five Live: “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.

“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.”

However neither players nor management were entirely satisfied with a victory in which England at times looked like blowing an early advantage, particularly when their guests brought the score to 18-11 from 15-0.