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Ellis Genge is poised to complete a treble of career-defining trips to Australia by confirming his epic transformation from ‘wild’ rookie into a world-class, tone-setting Lion on Saturday.
The England prop, 30, has been outstanding on tour and will be back on duty in the first Test at Suncorp Stadium, which he turned into his own stomping ground three years ago with a rampaging, series-turning onslaught.
That was Part II of his trilogy Down Under. Part I was in 2016, when the tearaway tyro was called up by Eddie Jones for England’s 3-0 whitewash tour of Australia. Genge didn’t make an appearance, but he made his mark – and the formative experience set him on the path to Test stardom.
‘In 2016 he was rough, tough, had a glint in his eye and we just thought we’d take a punt on him,’ Jones tells Mail Sport from Japan. ‘He trained hard and he didn’t play, but I reckon that tour was the making of him in many ways. For a young guy to show that patience, work hard and enjoy the tour… he got the thirst for being a good player. He learned how to be disciplined in his own way.’
Genge was thick as thieves with fellow up-and-coming prop Kyle Sinckler and Jones adds: ‘Both of them were pretty wild!’
As a relative unknown, a fired-up Genge sought to establish himself during England training by ruffling a few feathers. ‘At Sanctuary Cove, he was flying into it and at one stage Mako (Vunipola) just stood up and knocked him over, to quieten him down for a while,’ says Jones. ‘It was good, competitive training and he wanted to show what he was all about.’
Ellis Genge has been in phenomenal form on the Lions tour and won the No 1 shirt for the first Test against the Wallabies
Former England head coach Eddie Jones (right) first called him up to the Australia tour in 2016
The Bristolian had left his home city to avoid being dragged into trouble. He joined Leicester three months before he was called up by Jones. Richard Cockerill was the Tigers’ director of rugby and he could see potential, but a refining process was required. He was in the right place for that.
‘Genge had all the raw talent but also a chip on his shoulder,’ the now-Georgia head coach tells Mail Sport. ‘It was about controlling that aggression and natural nastiness. When he first arrived at Leicester, Gengey had this reputation from Bristol, but no one at Leicester cared about how tough he was – they just wanted to see how much he was willing to put in for the club.
‘I would say to him, “If you want to have a fight, it’s easy here, just come to training. There are lots of guys who like to fight, lots of tough men. But no one cares if you can fight, all they care about is if you can play”.
'Once he got that, the boys accepted him and thought, “He’s a good kid, he’s going to be a good player and he’s a hard b*****d”, it was all fine.’
With England, Genge had to find his feet among experienced players including Courtney Lawes. Asked about his first impressions of Genge from the 2016 tour Lawes says: ‘He was quiet, super friendly and hard-working. He has a very dry sense of humour and real personality, and he’s quite confident.
'You know who Gengey is from the first moment you meet him. He’s one of my best mates in rugby and he’s incredibly funny. He won’t change depending on his environment, he just is who he is and he’s a great lad.’
Down Under Part II was in 2022. Genge came into that tour on the crest of a wave, having captained Leicester to Premiership title glory. He was a talismanic figure for his club and would be too for his national team, in their hour of need.
England lost the first Test in Perth, but fought back to win the series 2-1, inspired by the force of nature in the No 1 shirt.
Courtney Lawes (No 6) was often Genge's England captain, and describes him as one of his best mates in the game
Genge throws aside Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi in 2022 on a trademark rampaging run
In Brisbane, Genge was seething after a perceived slight from Wallabies scrum rival Taniela Tupou, who he will have a score to settle against on Saturday. He bottled up the angst and made a thunderous early statement at Suncorp as he stormed through home captain Michael Hooper with a gainline-busting carry which ignited England’s fightback in that match and in Sydney a week later.
After the game, Hooper, a veteran of 125 caps and no shrinking violet himself, said: ‘Jeez, Genge is a hard man to tackle. I’d like to avoid that again.’
Jones has no doubt that Genge – who also threw aside mighty Wallaby centre Samu Kerevi in the third Test – was responsible for altering the whole mood of that tour. ‘He was incredible,’ he says. ‘He was the catalyst for us winning that series.
‘That carry (through Hooper) set the tone and that’s the best expression for him; he’s a set-the-tone player. In the second Test he was enormous and in the third Test he was the player who everyone followed. That was often Maro Itoje’s tag, but on that tour, Ellis took over. Rugby used to be a violent game but now it’s a physical game. It still needs someone to set the tone in that regard, and he can do it better than anyone.’
It fell to Cockerill, England’s forwards coach on that tour, to light a fuse under his wounded pack after the 30-28 first Test defeat and he didn’t need to do much to ignite the fire in Genge. He has a clear recollection of how the charge from the ‘Baby Rhino’ galvanised the whole team.
‘The thing that Gengey brings is aggression,’ he says. ‘There aren’t many players in the world who bring that level of nastiness. He wants to carry the ball into people, he wants to scrummage and dominate. He’s just got that natural edge; it’s part of his make-up.
‘He enjoys it when people say they don’t think he’s good enough. He thinks, “Well, f*** you, I’m going to show you”. That’s what he’s always done, from Bristol to Leicester and back to Bristol – to becoming one of the world’s best players and a Lion.
‘Gengey can lead by what he says, but mainly by what he does. He’s not scared of anybody. He does not give a monkey’s. If the Lions get on the front foot, they will bash Australia, but the first part of the game could be quite cagey. Gengey can blow the whole thing apart.’
Genge will lead the way against Australia with his furious ball-carrying abilities
This is Genge's first Lions tour, and he comes into it as arguably the form tighthead in the world
Lawes feels Genge has also become a spokesman for his peers, having led recent contract talks with the RFU on behalf of players.
‘He’s been growing as a leader for some time,’ says Lawes. ‘The tour in 2022 was my favourite and Gengey was a massive part of that. He was part of the leadership group and he’s got his finger on the pulse of the team.
‘There are some captains who are coaches’ captains and some captains who are players’ captains. He is a players’ captain. He would put himself in the firing line for the team or he would express what the team’s feelings are, to the coaches, even if it’s not going to be well-received. That’s a really good thing to have on a tour.’
Genge is now an elder statesman, with 71 caps for his country, closing in on England's top 20 most capped players of all time. When he is baited by opposition fans now, he laughs it off. Now, if a decision goes against him, he keeps a lid on his angst.
When rookie Gloucester prop Afolabi Fasogbon gave him a send-off wave in a Premiership match last year, he responded with a post-match hug and words of encouragement, rather than a confrontation.
He has spoken about keeping the primal fury that his game needs, now that he is a father. Genge has previously admitted: ‘It does soften you up. I feel I have had a constant battle with trying to still have that bravado and that nastiness.’
Yet, Lawes can see how family life has benefitted his friend’s career. ‘You get older and relax a bit. He’s not as fiery as he was. He has learned to enjoy his time on the pitch. His life has changed. He’s got three kids and rugby is not the most important thing which can help in some ways. It has helped him.’
And so, to Part III: a major role in a Lions series Down Under. All the signs are that Genge will find the nastiness to set a forceful tone, given the impact he has made so far.
Genge will set a forceful tone with his running game and look to break through tackles at will
‘On this tour he’s got back his running game,’ says Jones. ‘He sort of lost that with England lately, but he has got it back and looks like that aggressive, raw, off-the-back-fence type player again.
‘He’s still got the edge, but he’s got a high level of emotional intelligence. People warm to him and he shows real care for the players. I rate him really highly.’
Cockerill agrees. ‘He has been one of the best ball-carriers in the squad and in the scrum. He is in the form of his life. I’ve got nothing but admiration for him. He’s the all-round modern prop who can do everything.’
Suncorp Stadium is a place of positive memories for the Lions’ No 1. If he turns it into his stomping ground again, the Wallabies will be in trouble.
