ELL’S TEETH!
35 Genge’s Tigers edge thriller
ENGLAND star Ellis Genge muscled over for a try double to send Leicester Tigers to Twickenham with their tails up.
Six days before taking on Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup Final, Genge was at his fiery best in front of watching Red Rose boss Eddie Jones.
Quins had no answer to the power of ‘Baby Rhino’ as he twice helped himself to scores during a rampaging first half in which he was also sin-binned.
So influential was Genge that when Tigers brought him off early to save his legs for Twickenham it almost cost them the game.
“If we play like we did in that second half it won’t be much of a game next week,” said Leicester boss Steve Borthwick.
Never-say-die Quins rallied from 32-12 down to score three late tries and were pushing for the win when time ran out on their brave challenge.
That would have been monstrously harsh on Genge, who showcased his brute force in response to his British & Irish Lions omission.
Tigers legend and World Cup winner Ben Kay commented: “He is one of those players that you’re worried about tackling all the time because he’s got that immense strength and power to shrug people off.
“That holds other defenders around the person making the tackle and that creates space elsewhere.”
Genge demonstrated it on 11 minutes, blasting through from a quick tap penalty to score. Before the half was over he was at it again, making the initial burst in centre-field before rejoining the move to plough through two defenders.
“When Genge has got space to build up a head of steam he is very hard to stop,” conceded Quins coach Nick Evans. “Certainly he was a factor in that first half.”
But with his departure, and that of Jasper Wiese, Leicester lost their goforward, and Quins sniffed an opportunity. Marcus Smith spotted Joe
Marchant in space on the left and kicked to the corner for him to score.
Then he helped work space on the right for the fit-again Nathan Earle to bag his second with a deadly finish.
When Luke Northmore rounded off a length-of-the-field move involving the outstanding Alex Dombrandt, the alarm bells were sounding for Tigers but they just held on.
LEICESTER: Tries: Scott, Genge 2, T Youngs; Pens: Ford 2, Henry; Cons: Ford 3 HARLEQUINS: Tries: Earle 2, Marchant, Northmore, penalty try; Con: Smith