BBC Radio 5 Live

More from former England centre Jonathan Joseph on 5 Live: "The way England have played over the last year it has been so hard to decide who is the best centre because they kick the ball away a lot.

"The centres are not getting many touches. Henry Slade probably gets 10-15 touches of the ball in a game for Exeter but for England it's five or six.

"I am a big fan of Max Ojomoh. The game has moved on massively in terms of attacking play. He is our best attacking centre in terms of creating space for others, he's a great reader of the game and it's like having a second 10 on the field.

"With the way the game is going, you need two really good receivers in your backline."

Thanks Richard, I'll trust your stats.

Born: Bristol

Age: 26

Position: Prop

Club: Bristol Bears

England's prop shortage has worked in George Kloska's favour. He has been patient at club level after loan stints with Bedford Blues and Hartpury College. Since playing Ireland A last year, Kloska has been a regular starter and consistent performer for Bristol. Good things come to those who wait.

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Former England centre Jonathan Joseph on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I've spoken to Tommy and he does say he likes to play both positions but he's played most of his career on the wing and he is world class there.

"I don't think we can call him a world-class 13 yet because he has not had enough game time there. Yes, he can cover that position but he is so much better on the wing where he thrives taking people on.

"He's not so much of a distributor as we have in Henry Slade, Max Ojomoh or Seb Atkinson in terms of getting the ball out wide."

Mike Henson
BBC Sport senior rugby union reporter at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

Glenn, Gemma and Eva Pells, along with Freddie Beckley have made their way to this fixture from Saltburn, near Middlesbrough.

Glenn says he is looking forward to watching Fiji as much as England, given the Pacific Islanders expansive gameplan and England's recent failures to show such ambition.

That is a Northampton shirt that Eva is wearing by the way. They are Saints fans, who make it down to Franklin's Gardens several times a season, attracted by their running rugby and spice-boy set of young stars.

Could they be tempted over to Newcastle Red Bulls' revolution? There is some Tyne-Tees politics to get over before they will be fully converted, let's put it that way.

As it is, they are relishing an England home game that is a lot more convenient to them than south-west London.

In May, former England scrum-half Danny Care criticised the selection of South Africa-born Benhard Janse van Rensburg in the England training squad for this summer's Tests.

"It doesn't sit right with me to take away the opportunity for Max Ojomoh or Ollie Lawrence," Care told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

"Whether they [England] don't like those players personality-wise or on the technical side, they are two young English lads who have dreamt of playing for England.

"I know Janse van Rensburg has been over here five years and qualifies on residency, but I think playing international rugby has to be more exclusive than that."

Do we agree with Care? Thumbs up for yes.

If you disagree, hit the thumbs down.

Fijian singers and dancers are welcoming the teams out to the pitch. It feels like we are in Fiji.

Born: Pretoria

Age: 29

Position: Centre

Club: Bristol Bears

Benhard Janse van Rensburg, who qualifies for England through five years of residency despite turning out for South Africa's under-20s more than a decade ago, has been one of the Prem's top performers in recent years for London Irish and Bristol Bears. However, his inclusion over homegrown prospects has been criticised by some.

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Image source, Getty Images

England captain Jamie George says he is excited to see 'special talent' Noah Caluori make his debut this afternoon.

"Caluori is a special, special talent and I’m buzzing for him," said George, who plays alongside the wing at Saracens.

“He bought himself a VR headset with his first pay cheque and that’s all he has been doing this week – he’s probably more focused on that than the fact he is playing against Fiji!

"He can be so influential on a game because there are very few people who have his athletic ability. I’ve genuinely never seen anything like it.

"He’s able to do things that other people aren’t physically able to do and it’s a thing of beauty when he gets it right.

"The excitement should be there because we haven’t had a player like this for a very, very long time.

"We need to appreciate that he isn’t the finished article, he’s 19 years old and he’s on his first cap. But we are fully behind him to go out there and express himself.

"I just hope he enjoys it because when he enjoys his rugby, he’s at his best."

Born: London

Age: 19

Position: Wing

Club: Saracens

In his debut Prem season, Noah Caluori, a 6ft 4in phenomenon in the air, scored five tries TWICE against Sale Sharks. He joint-topped the league's try-scoring charts with 18 scores this season. He played in the Under-20 Six Nations this year.

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Mike Henson
BBC Sport senior rugby union reporter at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

A cursory internet search suggests that there are about 7,000 Fijians and British-Fijians living in England and Wales.

It feels like most of them are here today.

Above is the 50-strong Midlands Fijian Community Choir, based in Stoke-on-Trent and nearby Ternhill, who welcomed the home team off their bus.

They were explaining to me that there are a lot of Fijians who have come to the UK to serve in the military (England wings Joe Cokanasiga and Semesa Rokoduguni both were brought to this country by their military connections) or work in nursing.

Ani, Loata, Joana, Aisea, Ma and Gloria (below) reflect some of the split loyalties.

They are watching all three of Fiji's games in this Nations Championship summer series, but Ani, far left, is wearing an England shirt today and a Fiji shirt against Wales and Scotland.

Aisea, celebrating his 26th birthday today, is keeping it Pacific throughout, while Ma is wearing a t-shirt celebrating the match itself rather than either side specifically. Diplomatic.

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This was the team in 2023 that suffered England's only loss to Fiji.

Not many survivors and quite a few who subsequently moved to France.

Ellis Genge, Ollie Chessum and Ben Earl are the only starters who remain.

England: Steward; Malins, Lawrence, Tuilagi, May; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, Dan, Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Lawes (capt), Willis, Earl.

Replacements: Walker, Marler, Stuart, Ribbans, Ludlam, Care, Smith, Marchant.

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Centre Henry Slade, who did not play a minute of England's Six Nations campaign earlier this year, has been recalled to the starting line-up.

Guy Pepper replaces Tom Curry at open-side flanker in the other change to the starting XV, while the uncapped trio of Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Noah Caluori and George Kloska are poised to make their Test debuts off the bench.

England: M Smith; Freeman, Slade, Atkinson, Feyi-Waboso; F Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, George, Heyes, Coles, Martin, Chessum, Pepper, Earl.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Kloska, Curry, Pollock, Mitchell, Janse van Rensburg, Caluori.

Due to the hot weather forecast in Liverpool, Nations Championship organisers have agreed to an extended 20-minute half-time break and additional three-minute water breaks for all players and match officials after 20 minutes of each half.

The water breaks will take place when there is a natural break in play.

Fiji have made themselves at home in Liverpool.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Mike Henson
BBC Sport senior rugby union reporter at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

Suva-on-Sea?

It certainly feels like that with the mercury touching 27C today in Liverpool.

This match may be on Merseyside, but it is in fact a Fiji home game.

The Pacific Islanders are staging their games in the UK, partly because of a lack of elite-level stadia in their homeland, partly because of the logisitics of bringing together their European-based stars, partly because it will make more cash.

So, last weekend Fiji took on Wales at Cardiff Arms Park and next weekend they will play Scotland at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

This game has provided gold in recent meetings.

England have won nine of their 10 Test meetings against Fiji, including the most recent - a 38-18 win at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium last November.

However, Fiji shocked the same venue with a 30-22 win in the build up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, before running England close in a bruising 30-24 defeat in the last eight of the tournament.

England will take confidence from Wales' impressive win over Fiji in Cardiff last weekend.

However, Fiji have made made nine changes from that defeat.

Simione Kuruvoli and Caleb Muntz are the all-new half-back pairing.

Levani Botia, 37, makes his first appearance for his country since the World Cup last-eight defeat by England nearly three years ago.

Fiji: Rayasi; Karaivalevu, Ravouvou, Tuisova, Wainiqolo; Muntz, Kuruvoli; Mawi, Ikanivere, Doge, Ratuva, Nasilasila, Yato, Tagitagivalu, Botia.

Replacements: Matavesi, Matave, Ravai, Mayanavanua, Canakivata, Sovakula, Lomani, Armstrong-Ravula.