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'He's from the wrong side of the tracks and we're quite happy for him to stay the wrong side'
By PA
Eddie Jones wants Ellis Genge to stay the wrong side of the tracks while viewing the firebrand prop as a candidate for a leadership role with England. Jones has named a youth-packed provisional training squad containing 21 uncapped players as preparations begin for a summer series consisting of an A international against Scotland A and Tests against the USA and Canada.
Genge's 28 caps make him the most experienced among the 34 who will gather at The Lensbury on Monday and with England in search of a new captain in the absence of their seasoned campaigners, the 26-year-old has been identified as a contender.
Coming from the tough Knowle West district of Bristol, the combative loosehead prop has forged an unconventional path into the Test arena to become a role model for aspiring players from working-class backgrounds. Since being overlooked for the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, England prop Genge has produced a series of forceful displays including in Leicester's highly-charged defeat by Bristol last weekend.
“Ellis will tell you that he is from the wrong side of the tracks and we are quite happy for him to stay on the wrong side of them,” Jones said. “But what he will also tell you is the power of learning self-discipline and that to be a hard-running prop like he is, he needs not just to satisfy his needs, but also to know what the team needs.
“I thought the way he handled that Bristol situation was absolutely outstanding. It was his old club and he put his side in a position to win the game. And whether, rightly or wrongly, it was taken away from him, he handled it wonderfully. Can he take a formal leadership role? There is no reason why he can't, whether that is in the future or now.”
With Owen Farrell touring with the Lions and George Ford rested for the summer, Jones will appoint a captain who will be able to relate to such a young squad. “We have got a Generation Z that think and feel and they want to be empowered and have their say, so the role of the captain has got to be to meet the demands of his players,” Jones said.
“And for this tour, we are going to make sure that we have the right leadership team or group in place. We have some ideas but we’ll have to flesh them out when the players come in.”
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Look there are a few unarguable facts here that are very clear. SARU was close to bankruptcy with SR, bailed out by the Lions and they need the URC and EPCR. Inclusion of SA teams in URC has been a great for for ALL concerned, from a rugby perspective and financially, moreover there is massive growth yet to come. The GP is in financial trouble and this will be the catalyst for EPCR change to further cement the Boks.
If this all plays out with even greater rewards for the urc AND the Top14 & GP via EPCR, the 6N will become 7N. Nz and Aus NEED to get their version firing with Japan & the PI’s, otherwise they will find themselves increasingly regressing…
Go to commentsPerofeta came back and was available for the eoyt right? Or was that why Love was in the squad (but got injured in the last week)?
It was such a frustrating year. Perofeta looked a service stop gap until Jordan was fit, but then got injured. Plummer was selected because of Pero's injury and dmac shat the bed in the second half in Australia but Clarke (?) got himself binned at the 65 min mark so Plummer couldn't come on (at least with the risk adverse Razors thinking) when he was planned to.
So many other exciting opportunities that could have happened without injuries, but then theyre probably balanced by knowing Sititi probably wouldn't have been given a chance without multiple injuries happened.
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