ELLIS GENGE: Why scrapping relegation was the wrong choice

‘Open wounds,’ says Ellis Genge, with a steely stare, when asked about the prospect of facing South Africa this summer.

The prop is eating lunch – steak, eggs and sweet potato – in the Bristol Bears training centre, but his mind has cast back to England’s 2023 World Cup semi-final with the Springboks. Handre Pollard’s late penalty secured victory for Rassie Erasmus’ men. The teams will lock horns again when the Nations Championship begins in July.

‘When you get f****** hammered in the scrum,’ Genge says, putting down his knife and fork. ‘Well not hammered, but it lets you down, you rectify it, don’t you? The penalty for them to go ahead was from a scrum which I was involved in. Against me. Obviously, it’s going to make you feel a type of way. You let the f***ing nation down. It hurts. It’s an open wound and you’ve got to make sure it doesn’t open back up.’

Following his 2023 heartache, Genge made a plan with England scrum coach Tom Harrison to nail down his set piece. Genge testifies that South Africa have the most dominant scrum in the history of the game and July’s Test in Johannesburg will be the barometer of his own progress there.

‘I’ve put on 12 kilos since 2023. I’m now 127kg,’ Genge adds. ‘Loads of gym, eating, scrums, making myself robust in the right areas, lifting consistently, never missing any sessions. A bit more grub. I’m not a great eater, as you’ve seen. It wasn’t a big plate of food there. It’s more weights, squatting, neck, trying to push everything you do on.

‘You get your sequences right and you get decent footwear. People want to wear moulds to play rugby in, and I show them my 12-studded, 24mm studs, and they go, “How the f*** do you run around in them?” I go “I don’t want to wear them. I have to”.

‘You get everyone invested. I think we’re in a good spot, but it’s the true test if you’re being honest about it, looking at the summer. No one will give us any plaudits until we go there and try to put our best foot forward against South Africa. That’s the real test, isn’t it?’

Genge has been consulted as part of the review into England’s worst-ever Six Nations campaign, which ended with four consecutive defeats, including a first defeat by Italy and two hammerings against Scotland and Ireland.

Head coach Steve Borthwick is under intense scrutiny as a result but Genge offered his support for him.

‘I’m happy with Steve,’ he says. ‘It was difficult to put a finger on what was going wrong. I don’t think anyone could have really and truly foreseen the speedbumps. I was proud of the way the boys reacted within camp. At no point – or maybe after the Ireland game a little bit, where you saw boys’ heads drop and they thought “f***” – but prior to that it was so f***ing positive.

‘I was just happy with how the boys stuck together. There weren’t many positive lights. We played reasonably well against France, but ultimately we lost and came fifth, so it’s tough.

‘You’re asked for honest feedback and answers and give it to them. You have a review with everyone, within reason. You have an IDP (individual development plan) with the coaches. I spoke to Tom about the scrum. The scrum went well.’

Genge’s immediate focus lies with Bristol. The Bears are fifth in the PREM and must beat Gloucester on Friday night to ensure they do not drift further away from the four play-off places.

‘We’ve lost seven on the bounce so I’m not exactly bouncing off the walls but the opportunity ahead is always exciting,’ says Genge. ‘We tend to come into our own towards the end of the season when it gets a bit drier. Ironically, it’s pissing down outside. We’ve left ourselves a bit to do, haven’t we? A bit like Arsenal.

‘We’ve put a lot of hard work in over the months gone by. We missed two massive opportunities against Harlequins and Leicester. It’s strange. We have our Six Nations block and we almost come back a different team and lose a couple of games. It’s hard to put my finger on it.’

The PREM has officially scrapped relegation as part of its franchising model. New investment is coming into the competition but Genge believes the lack of jeopardy at the bottom of the table will be detrimental.

‘I’m not a fan of any form of ringfencing because I’ve been there before,’ he says honestly. ‘I was there with Leicester in 2017, when we had the best squad ever on paper and we were in a relegation battle with Newcastle.

‘I thought it was f***ing class, backs against the wall. Guy Thompson scored a couple. What a day. It was like we won the PREM!

‘Someone from PREM Rugby will say I don’t understand the analytics and the financials of it. No, I don’t, but that’s my opinion on it. I prefer the theatre of promotion and relegation. It gives you something to play for in the Champ and obviously makes you a bit twitchy when you’re in the PREM.’

Genge has never been short of an opinion. Season structure? He believes it is too long.

‘Are we the only sport that goes on for 12 months? We try to rag it out and make it as long as we can. Two weeks off and then you’re back into the meat grinder. I’d rather the season was shorter and more condense. Boom, boom, boom. Just knock it out.’

Eddie Hearn moving into the sport with Henry Pollock?

‘It’s good, isn’t it? He certainly isn’t doing any f***ing boxing fights, Pollock. HP’s showcased himself in a phenomenal way. Everyone has been talking about him. Maybe he can bring a bit more dramatisation to it but it’s funny, because people ask for it and then when it happens everyone’s like “get back in your box”. The players lose the plot and say wind your neck in. Rugby’s in its infancy still of making stars.’

And his own career goals as a 31-year-old?

‘Win the PREM. Win the World Cup. One after the other. Let’s do that. Sound.’

No nonsense as ever, Genge’s straight talking and forward prowess could be key to Bristol and England’s fortunes.