How 'loved' Ellis Genge tactic ultimately left sour England taste
It was quite an eye-catching statistic, prop forward Ellis Genge emerging as the England player that made the most metres away to France other than Marcus Smith during last Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations defeat. The loosehead recorded 110 metres from his ten carries, a number that only out-half Smith eclipsed with his 154 metres from a dozen carries.
Midfielder Joe Marchant, with 106 from nine carries, was third-best overall on the list of the 22 England players who played in Paris while the next-best forward was Sam Simmonds with 70 metres from 14 carries. The numbers for the forwards then level off, with tighthead Will Stuart the next-best carrier with 37 metres from seven carries.
Both Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode were enthused on this week’s edition of The Rugby Pod to see Genge show up in the backline running the ball back at the French, but that enthusiasm was tempered by the realisation that it highlighted how limited the England tactics were that they had to rely on a prop to run the ball back. There was also the issue that it sapped the front row’s energy when it came to his bread and butter of doing a job at the scrum.
Hamilton kick-started the reflection on the show about the 25-13 Stade de France defeat, claiming he enjoyed the action he saw on TV from France before flying home from Ireland following the Triple Crown game versus Scotland.
“That was a hell of a Test match and looking at it from my point of view at the airport in Dublin, it looked like the French had a couple of more gears. They never look like losing and that was the most impressive thing. England, I thought the game plan was great, I thought they were good… I thought they played well. Did you not?”
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Goode didn’t agree. “Not until we are 18-6 down, no. They [France] should have carved us open. Had it not been a Grand Slam game and a bit of anxiousness around some of the passes… we could have been 20-odd points down at half-time… I thought 25-13, I am looking at it going in reality I reckon that is a 40 points to 13 game had France taken their opportunities.
“Eddie Jones’ tactics I think are really clueless. You have got players that are ripping it up in the Premiership in a certain way for their clubs. Stick them in an England shirt and it’s all about kicking. I have never seen Marcus Smith kick so much in all my life. Tactically I disagree with you, Jim. I thought we were inept at times.”
This teed it up for Hamilton to come back in and steer the conversation to the England role played by Genge. “I am looking at it from that point of view where I thought the tactics, in my mind, were how I would have gone about it. Anyway, I was a forward, I enjoyed the game, I enjoyed the physicality. I thought Gengey was exceptional.
“I loved the way how they used him in the backline. But you know what, that shows me the worry with England, the fact that you have got to use your loosehead prop. I know you play to your strengths but the fact was that there was no one else in that backline who could do what Gengey was doing in terms of carrying.”
Goode didn’t agree that Genge was the only England forward capable of putting up a gallop. “I disagree with that. I loved the fact that they used Gengey back there but we used him all the time, so imagine your loosehead prop running it back and he made more metres than any other England player and then you ask him to go and scrum against the biggest tighthead in the world [Uini Atonio] and then we got a penalty given away at scrum time. Our scrum was under pressure.
“Whereas I liked Gengey doing that, Sam Simmonds, look what Shaun Edwards said about him the other day, he is like a running back in the NFL so why didn’t they have Sam Simmonds back there as well, interchange him with Ellis Genge? Sam Simmonds is a devastating ball runner back.
“You are not going to run straight at someone and Gengey, all he was going to do was get the ball and run back at someone and he is going to get tackled. He is going to win the gain line. I saw Paul Willemse try to monster him, he’ll bounce one and someone else will take him down.
“I thought it was great that he was back there for one or two occasions but you have sapped the complete energy out of him to do anything else. And this is the thing, you have got Sam Simmonds, you have got (Alex) Dombrandt…”
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments