Ireland player reveals ‘surprise’ that British and Irish Lions squad mate Ellis Genge ‘is not a d***head’
British and Irish Lions prop Ellis Genge
Ireland’s Dan Sheehan has spoken of his surprise at learning that England’s Ellis Genge “is not a d***head”.
The duo would have packed down as front row rivals on plenty of occasions, but spending little over a week together as British and Irish Lions squad mates has sharply altered the hooker’s opinion of the loosehead.
Busy with Leinster through to their June 14 United Rugby Championship title win over the Bulls, Sheehan missed the first week of the Lions’ preparations – their Dublin assembly followed by a warm-weather camp in Portugal.
Genge was available for that introductory week due to Bristol’s June 7 Premiership semi-final defeat to Bath and he went on to be selected to start in the Lions’ 24-28 Aviva Stadium loss to Argentina last Friday.
Just two of Leinster’s 12-strong contingent were chosen to take part in that match – subs Tadhg Furlong and Ronan Kelleher – as they only linked up with the Lions at the start of the week.
‘You go from despising people to hanging around with them…’
However, so quickly has Sheehan built up a friendly training ground/team room rapport with Genge that he has now issued a glowing appraisal of the prop.
The Lions are just days away from beginning the Australian leg of their match schedule, this Saturday’s clash with Western Force in Perth, and Sheehan used his midweek media appearance to explain how quickly opinions can change on a Lions tour when players are no longer Six Nations rivals.
“It’s mad how fast you can go from despising people to hanging around to go for a coffee with them,” he enthused. “It’s probably just that rugby blokes are good blokes, you can turn on the hatred when you want it.
“Genge is obviously a passionate, animated player for England and someone who we, as Ireland, would consider as a talisman and someone, in an Irish jersey, we would need to target.
“He is one person you enjoy having on the team. And he is a funny bloke off the pitch. I think everyone loves him. You can see the passion he brings to meetings, to pitch straight in and scrum.
“He is one person you enjoy having on your side now. He is very real and says it how it is. He is definitely someone that surprises you that he is not a d***head.”
