Skipper bristles at ‘plucky losers’ line of questioning
ELLIS Genge gave an impassioned response to suggestions Leicester Tigers were ‘plucky losers’ after Leinster knocked them out of the Heineken Champions Cup.
Hopes of a semi-final with reigning champions Toulouse back at Mattioli Woods Welford Road were effectively ended in the first-half of Saturday’s encounter as the Irish province built a commanding 20-0 lead.
Tries from Chris Ashton and Nic Dolly closed the final losing margin to nine points as Leicester were left to lament uncharacteristic handling errors and a dysfunctional lineout that allowed the four-time champions to progress.
Post-match, Tigers skipper Genge responded to a question regarding struggles to compete with a Leinster starting line-up that boasted 13 internationals.
“I am not trying to be a p **** here, but I don’t want you saying that,” Genge said.
“We came out there and we fought as hard as we could. They have 13 internationals but don’t put us in that bracket of we gave it a good crack. We could have won that game. If anyone is going to say that to me, please don’t because it is going to wind me right up. Our boys fought all game so I am not going to come here for someone to say we gave it a good crack and we’re plucky losers.”
The visitors’ well-rested squad was a hot topic of conversation before the quarter-final as Leinster wrapped up their leading talents in cotton wool in the weeks between their Round of 16 second leg rout of Connacht and Saturday’s showdown in Leicestershire.
Meanwhile, the majority of the Tigers squad that bowed out of Europe played Gallagher Premiership games against Harlequins and Bristol Bears since their second leg triumph against Clermont Auvergne. Genge, who featured in both those matches, had clocked 243 minutes of club rugby since returning from the Six Nations - more than the combined total of his opposing looseheads on Saturday Andrew Porter (107) and Cian Healy (84). But the 36-times capped England international didn’t offer the difference in preparations as a reason behind Tigers’ first home defeat in 17 games.
“I don’t want to give an excuse and say they had two weeks off and we were knackered,” he said. “I would play again now if it meant we had another crack of the whip. Being centrally contracted, they benefit from being able to rest players as and when. I am just upset at the missed opportunity.”
Tigers have lost only four times domestically this season and booked a home Gallagher Premiership semifinal with two rounds to spare in a remarkable revival of their fortunes under Steve Borthwick.
Despite being nilled in the first half, Genge dismissed an assessment that their first home defeat in 11 months was a reality check on their “rebuilding journey”.
“Pack it in,” Genge replied. “Don’t start that. It is not a genuine question. It is not a rebuilding journey. We went out there in the second half and won 14-3. You are talking like we were blown away. They are a brilliant side and if you play like that in the first half then you are going to get punished. Then we had to chase the game. It is hard to win from 20-0 down.
“We did not stop fighting. We did what we did all year for 40 minutes, I just wish we had done it for 80.”