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'Eddie calls him sardines. I don't know why' - Ellis Genge breathlessly describes the personality of each of England's props

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

Ellis Genge went all Reservoir Dogs to introduce rugby fans to the England props for this year’s Guinness Six Nations, the Leicester loosehead appearing in an episode of Inside Line, the mini English documentary series, to give a rundown on the various No1s and No3 at the disposal of Eddie Jones.  

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The England coach is a great admirer of the different personalities he has to pick from, claiming: “The thing I love about our props is they are so diverse. Looseheads and tightheads have always been traditionally a little bit different. Tightheads traditionally were a more introverted and looseheads more extroverted but with our group of players it’s a little bit different.”

How different is something England squad regular Genge proceeded to explain in a humorous fashion. “Here at England, we have some very fruity individuals, especially in the front row and amongst the props who all have different aliases. Why not do some music, like the beat of Reservoir Dogs?

Video Spacer

Vunipola’s fitness, Farrell’s form and the worst England performance ever

Video Spacer

Vunipola’s fitness, Farrell’s form and the worst England performance ever

“First up you have got Harry Williams, The Conspiracist, sits in his room with tin foil on his head and a magnet in his mouth. And then you have got Tom West, The Foodie, AKA Westie. Apparently, he is related to John West, the owner of the tuna company. Eddie calls him sardines. I don’t know why.

“Then you have got Beno (Obano), AKA Benzs, AKA Cynic, the musical one. Used to be a rap artist out of South London. Now he is a pirate from Bath. Eddie calls him that because he had a gold earring and wore a bandana once. I thought he was because he had a wooden leg. 

“Then you have got Will Stuart, AKA Stuey. Used to have a sick mullet like me… Then you have got Mako (Vunipola), The Experienced One. Apparently, he has seen more action than Pierce Brosnan in a movie trailer. And then you have got Sincks (Kyle Sinckler), The Loud One. AKA Kitchen, AKA Daddy. 

“Then you have got me, Gengey, the brains behind the organisation. Handsome, best gamer, best rig, best chat, fastest, strongest, smells the best, best cook, best lid… are we still recording?”

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With Genge’s musical tribute over, Williams, who played off the bench last week against Scotland before being released back to Exeter, added: “It would be dull if everyone was just the exact same. I couldn’t tell you for what reason but the front row seems to invite more individuals to it as opposed to other positions in the team.”

Obano, who appeared off the bench versus the Scots to make his Test debut, said: “My theory comes back to the idea that the props we see now were probably bigger than everyone else when they were a child and when you are bigger your interactions with people are just a little bit different… it’s odd that there is such a group of us that is just a bit different to everyone else.”

England will start the suspension-free Sinckler and the fit-again Vunipola against Italy this Saturday having begun last week’s defeat with Stuart and Genge. Scrum coach Matt Proudfoot also had his say in the video clip about the characters in the English front row. 

“My experience in coaching front row, you need to empower their personalities to come out. The more you can you free up their personalities the more they can perform as who they are and you harness their strengths rather than get them to fit a particular mould,” he explained. 

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“The world tends to think of a prop as being this beer-drinking, jovial character but a lot of them are quite deep thinkers, a lot of them are really focused on a lot of other aspects of life. When they need to play in the front row and scrum against the opposition it’s man against man… and if he is not confident in his character that is going to show up. 

“You always have to get them on the edge emotionally, mentally, physically, you have got to get them on the edge to perform and be ready to train. So that switch of when they are off they can be off and relax a bit and laugh.

“That is where the history of the front row club comes together because they know what they have to go through to get ready so when it is time to get boots on again they switch on and you can see them taking this metamorphosis that it is on. It’s time to work now.”

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J
JPM 53 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 55 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

11 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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