STONE GENGE

Ellis tells favourites Leinster: This is OUR gaff not yours... and we’re unbeaten here

ELLIS GENGE listened to all the reasons Leinster are a European superpower then calmly declared: “Yeah, but they have to come to our backyard.”

Four Champions Cups, bookies’ favourites to make it five later this month and wins on their last seven visits to England by an average margin of 23 points.

They top the United Rugby Championship, which they have won every year since 2017, and supplied 11 of the Ireland team which notched its biggest Twickenham win over England.

Standing between them and a place in the semi-finals are Leicester, who last reached the final in 2009 and last eight six years ago. But this is not a home tie for Leinster, as has been the case in 11 of their 16 previous European quarter-finals.

They must storm the Tigers’ lair.

“This is our gaff, it’s not theirs,” warned Leicester captain Genge. “I’m not going to let people build the manifestation of Leinster being the European giants that they are.

“This is the best stadium I have played in, in terms of atmosphere, hands down. Our fans are a 16th man or woman for us.” Tigers have won every game this season at Welford Road, all

16 of them.

But Genge concedes this is a step up.

“They say home advantage is worth a few points,” said the prop. “It depends where people’s heads are at, if you turn up or not. “Sometimes people can get complacent being at home, or it can give someone playing away another leg up.”

Genge knows he has a key role to play in setting the tone for the game with his pre-match address.

He knows also how challenging that could be given last weekend Tom Youngs delivered a highly emotional team talk just days after announcing his immediate retirement to support his seriously ill wife.

“I have just come off the back of probably one of the most emotional games I have ever been a part of, with Tommy talking to us in the changing room beforehand,” Genge admitted.

“It is a challenge for myself to build a sort of emotional energy for the boys this week.” In the only change from last time, lock Ollie Chessum returns from a ban.

James Ryan, playing his first match since being concussed on Ireland duty in the collision that led to Charlie Ewels’ red card, is Leinster’s only change.

On that Twickenham day Genge led a stunning setpiece effort, winning six scrum penalties for England despite playing 78 minutes with 14 men.

“This is all on us,” he said. “If we lose it is because we didn’t fight hard enough.”