However, the Gloucester wing, who was replaced after 65 minutes by Jonathan Joseph, admitted after the match to England head coach Eddie Jones that the intensity of the game had caught up with him.

May’s absence from the team training sessions at Pennyhill Park last week prompted speculation that he was struggling with an injury but the 26-year-old revealed last night that he had instead spent the week working on his conditioning to enable him to be available for England’s final two Tests against Argentina and Australia.

Elliot Daly, the Wasps centre, scored a try in an impressive display as his replacement against Fiji but May looks certain now to return to the left wing against Argentina.