You can chart Ellis Genge’s Test career by his tours of Australia. In 2016 he and Kyle Sinckler were Eddie Jones’s “rough diamonds”, picked to get a taste of an international tour but nowhere near Test selection. Six years on and in England’s second Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane, Genge kickstarted a victory that saved Jones’s job with a thunderous carry into Michael Hooper. Three years later, back in the same city, Genge makes his British & Irish Lions Test bow against Australia.
After naming Genge in Saturday’s side, the head coach, Andy Farrell, encouraged the 30-year-old loosehead prop to take a moment to reflect on how far he has come. It does not come easily to Genge but his growing influence on the international sides he represents is obvious. He confesses that nine years ago he and Sinckler “tried to get out of the way as much as we could” and “were out enjoying ourselves a bit too much”. In 2022, England had lost the series opener to the Wallabies and Genge was wound up by perceived provocation from opponent Taniela Tupou but inspired as Jones’s side levelled the series in Brisbane.
“I was in a good spot. If I can get to there again, I will be over the moon,” adds Genge. “I played quite well. We were quite fired up as a team that week. Obviously we lost the first Test. I was vice-captain on that tour and felt quite a bit of responsibility. It feels quite numbing to get to that emotional state. The comedown you have after it is quite monumental. You don’t sleep a wink. Fingers crossed I get there on Saturday.”
Farrell evidently believes he can. The head coach has told his players to embrace the expectation that comes with being heavy favourites and has challenged Genge to walk tall. “Faz said in the meeting that you should have a swagger about yourself, you should be proud, you should take a second to think: ‘You have done it,’” added Genge. “That stuck with me a bit because I have rarely taken the opportunity to reflect on my career thus far. I felt that if you start doing that and looking back, you struggle to get out of second gear sometimes. I have not done it for a long time. All the messages flood in. The questions and the phone calls and you realise that it is a big deal.
“[It made me] a bit uncomfortable. I don’t really like the praise too much. I don’t like the conversations and the texts. I think you would be naive to say you were not unbelievably proud of what you have achieved thus far. But someone said to me at the beginning of this year that there is a difference between being a Lion and being a winning Test Lion. Hopefully we can make that happen.”
Genge has also been in touch with Jones recently with the former England head coach offering encouragement, particularly around his ball-carrying. It is his set-piece work that Genge believes has seen the most improvement of late, however, attributing a weight gain of 12kg to his progress.
“I texted Eddie the other day,” said Genge. “He gave me feedback on my game straight away. He didn’t even acknowledge what I said. I wouldn’t have him any other way. The other boys are good carriers in their own right and I think it’s probably a strength of mine, so instead of thinking about what to do with the ball I’m just taking it forward. I’ve done a reasonably good job of it so hopefully I can keep on doing it.
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“When you saw me burst on the scene at 21, I was 114-115 kilos and I could actually move quite fast. I was 126kg two days ago – so I’m heavier now and it’s all downhill from here. I’ve gymmed a bit harder and taken my weights more seriously. I was probably one of the first crop of players who were quite explosive and athletic for a prop, but they are everywhere now, so you’ve almost got to double down on it.
“I’ve been taking my weights more seriously in the past 18 months, so I’ve got a bit stronger. I’ve definitely not got faster, I’ve got slower, but it’s working in the set piece.”