Ellis Genge says England are determined to rediscover the missing fight that saw them fall to France as they look to ruin Ireland’s Grand Slam celebrations on Saturday.
The stage is set for one of the big days in Irish rugby as Andy Farrell’s men come close to securing their first clean championship win in Dublin to ignite the St Patrick’s weekend party.
While Ireland top the world rankings and are poised to storm the World Cup this fall, England are picking up the pieces after France went wild for Twickenham with a record 53-10 home defeat.
How much scarring the experience left remains to be seen in the Six Nations climax, but Genge says his underdogs at Aviva Stadium are desperate to step up in the moment of truth.
“We’ve been whacked at home, we’re going to No. 1 in the world on St. Patrick’s Day – literally a day that’s made for them – and they can win a grand slam,” said Genge.
“All the odds are against us, but I’m really confident we’ll come out strong as a group.
“Regardless of the scoreboard, it’s not necessarily about going out there and thinking about points.
We got thumped at home, we’re going number one in the world on St. Patrick’s Day – literally a day that’s made for them – and they can win a Grand Slam
Ellis Genge
“Now it’s more about proving we have a bit of a fight in us because that was questioned over the weekend and that’s not where we want to be as a team.
“It’s just about getting everything right for each other. It’s backed by a fight, and that’s something we didn’t do over the weekend. There’s definitely some dog in this team and it didn’t show very well against France.
“I don’t think what we showed against France is the team we are. It was terrible on our part and there are a lot of things we can fix quite easily. Ultimately, it comes down to combat, and that’s what we’re going to do.
The English were mercilessly intimidated by Les Bleus, who dominated the clashes on both sides of the ball. However, Genge stresses the need for perspective.
“I don’t think one defeat defines you. It just highlights your weakness, shows you’re not where you’re supposed to be and shows there’s a reasonable gap between us and the world’s best,” said the Bristol prop.
“Every cloud and so on, but that doesn’t hide the fact that we had 50 points at home. There is also pain and the chance for revenge.
“If I were Irish, I’d be mustard for this – a chance to win a Grand Slam at home. But I don’t think they will treat us lightly, they will show us the respect we deserve, even after getting 50 points.
“The Irish have changed a lot mentally. They used to love being the underdog and now they are number one in the world. They have to support that and I think they are a brilliant team. We are losers now.”
