'Where can I address the flowers?': Genge issues Moore response

England vice-captain Ellis Genge has taken to Twitter to issue his response to comments by ex-Test level hooker Brian Moore in a newspaper column that took umbrage with the behaviour of the Leicester skipper and Dan Cole towards the match officials last Saturday at The Stoop.

The league-leading Tigers were pipped by defending champions Harlequins in a rip-roaring Gallagher Premiership affair at The Stoop and Moore wrote his weekly Telegraph column on the match. 

In a piece headlined 'Referees must not tolerate players like Ellis Genge and Dan Cole undermining them', Moore argued: "At one point in the game both Ellis Genge and Dan Cole were berating one of Barnes’ assistant referees whilst they were warming up as substitutes in the in-goal area. 

"They were obviously disagreeing with Barnes’ decision that held the Tigers’ front row as being responsible for a collapsed scrum. Whilst both those players have broad knowledge of the scrum, neither should be allowed to engage with any official until they are actually playing on the pitch and even then, they should only do so in an appropriate manner. 

"Entering into any discussion with substitutes, Barnes and his team set a bad precedent and they should not do so. No good can come of them indulging this sort of exchange."

These comments about Genge and Cole came in the final two paragraphs of an eleven-paragraph, 809-word comment piece but given it became the headline, it promoted a response from Leicester skipper Genge on Twitter. 

He wrote: "Nothing but respect for the officials who manage the game, would never try to undermine any official, I am so sorry that you viewed it that way, Brian. I’d like to extend an apology on behalf of myself and Dan, where can I address the flowers? Love your work by the way."