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Cockerill with England: 'A big jump in how you conduct yourself'

(Photo by Dan Mullan/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Ellis Genge has described what it has been like suddenly working with Richard Cockerill at England more than four years after the rumbustious Leicester character was forced out of Tigers. It was the now 50-year-old former England hooker who originally brought the Test loosehead into the fold at the Gallagher Premiership club in February 2016. That initial loan deal from Bristol quickly became a permanent one but Genge ultimately didn’t get to spend much time being coached by the colourful Cockerill as the head coach was sacked by Leicester in January 2017. 

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Nearly five years later, though, their paths have now crossed again in the workplace following the decision by Eddie Jones to bring in Cockerill as his new England forwards coach after he moved on from Edinburgh in the summer.

Having initially assembled for a two-day camp in London in September, England are now negotiating their way through a week-long preparation camp in Jersey ahead of the November internationals versus Tonga, Australia and South Africa and Genge has described how his old boss has been settling into his new role as an assistant.

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“It’s good,” said Genge when asked by RugbyPass about how a coach with the reputation of being a feisty personality has been faring working under Jones in what is a very different environment to Leicester. “He is a little bit different to when I had him at Leicester but the difference between club and international is a big jump in terms of how you sort of conduct yourself.

“If you think, at Leicester he was there for 20-odd years and he was a very different character there to what he is going to be here. He is just working on building relationships with people now but he is a good operator when he gets his feet on the ground, so we are just working as hard as we can as quickly as we can to find those relationships.”

There was no radio silence between the pair in the years after Cockerill had abruptly exited Leicester. “I kept in contact with Cockers in the meantime while he was up at Edinburgh and then when he got the England job I texted to say congratulations, that he was sort of a big pillar in my career,” continued Genge. “He was the one who brought me into the Leicester environment and treated me so well. If it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t be sitting here in front of the camera now.”

In a follow-up media briefing, Genge added: “I’m sure at some stage we will see that hard-nosed edge that we are all very familiar with in the Leicester camp. And rightly so. That is something that will benefit us as a forward pack. At the moment, he hasn’t had the opportunity to flare up at us. But it is inevitable… and I look forward to it.

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“He is a good operator. He is good at marshalling. He was in a very different role with Leicester to what he is doing now. He was marshalling standards and if you wore the wrong socks he would go mental. He isn’t really running around here doing that as standards tend to be a bit higher and boys tend to marshal themselves. I always took maintaining standards from Cockers. And don’t p*** about!”

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BeamMeUp 46 minutes ago
The Springboks have something you don't have

A few comments. Firstly, I am a Bok fan and it's been a golden period for us. I hope my fellow Bok fans appreciate this time and know that it cannot last forever, so soak it all in!


The other thing to mention (and this is targeted at Welsh, English and even Aussie supporters who might be feeling somewhat dejected) is that it's easy to forget that just before Rassie Erasmus took over in 2018, the Boks were ranked 7th in the world and I had given up hope we'd ever be world beaters again.


Sport is a fickle thing and Rassie and his team have managed to get right whatever little things it takes to make a mediocre team great. I initially worried his methods might be short-lived (how many times can you raise a person's commitment by talking about his family and his love of his country as a motivator), but he seems to have found a way. After winning in 2019 on what was a very simple game plan, he has taken things up ever year - amazing work which has to be applauded! (Dankie Rassie! Ons wardeer wat jy vir die ondersteuners en die land doen!) (Google translate if you don't understand Afrikaans! 😁)


I don't think people outside South Africa fully comprehend the enormity of the impact seeing black and white, English, Afrikaans and Xhosa and all the other hues playing together does for the country's sense of unity. It's pure joy and happiness.


This autumn tour has been a bit frustrating in that the Boks have won, but never all that convincingly. On the one hand, I'd like to have seen more decisive victories, BUT what Rassie has done is expose a huge number of players to test rugby, whilst also diversifying the way the Boks play (Tony Brown's influence).


This change of both style and personnel has resulted in a lack of cohesion at times and we've lost some of the control, whereas had we been playing our more traditional style, that wouldn't happen. This is partially attributable to the fact that you cannot play Tony Brown's expansive game whilst also having 3 players available at every contact point to clear the defence off the ball. I have enjoyed seeing the Boks play a more exciting, less attritional game, which is a boring, albeit effective spectacle. So, I am happy to be patient, because the end justifies the means (and I trust Rassie!). Hopefully all these players we are blooding will give us incredible options for substitutions come next year's Rugby Championship and of course, the big prize in 2027.


Last point! The game of rugby has never been as exciting as it is now. Any of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Argentina, Scotland, England & Australia can beat one another. South Africa may be ranked #1, but I wouldn't bet my house in them beating France or New Zealand, and we saw Argentina beating both South Africa and New Zealand this year! That's wonderful for the game and makes the victories we do get all the sweeter. Each win is 100% earned. Long may it last!


Sorry for the long post! 🏉🌍

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