‘You were f****** great’ – Ellis Genge in brilliant post-match moment after being waved off by prop upstart
Ellis Genge and Afolabi Fasogbon battle during Bristol v Gloucester Premiership clash.
Ellis Genge showed that there were no hard feelings after his intense scrum battle with highly talented youngster Afolabi Fasogbon on Friday.
Bristol Bears took on Gloucester in the second round of the 2024/25 Premiership season in what proved to be a thrilling clash.
They were plenty of tries scored as the 80+ points suggested, but there was also an intriguing front-row duel after Fasogbon entered the field in the second period.
Highly rated
The Gloucester tighthead is very well regarded in English rugby and was part of the fearsome Red Rose age-grade scrummaging unit during their World Rugby U20 Championship success earlier this year.
He started the opening clash against Saracens but came off the bench versus the Bears on Friday, making a significant impression.
Genge tried all the tricks in the book to get the upper hand and it resulted in a fun battle, with both players being penalised by the referee.
However, the one time the England loosehead really attempted to attack his opposite prop, Fasogbon held firm and pushed back, forcing the Bristolian to infringe.
Genge was then replaced following a one-hour stint and the Gloucester prop duly gave him a sarcastic send-off by mockingly waving at the Bears player after he left the field.
Fortunately for the youngster that didn’t come back to bite as his team earned a dramatic 44-41 triumph at Ashton Gate, kick-starting their season.
After the match, they once again met up but the atmosphere was very different as, to the Test loosehead’s immense credit, he took the battle in good spirits.
The 29-year-old put his fists up while smiling as he pretended to box before Fasogbon did the same. They then hugged and Genge appeared to utter the words, ‘you were f****** great’ as he walked off.
Full exchange between Ellis Genge and Afo Fasogbon after the final whistle. Think Genge signs off with "you were fucking great". Wholesome United. pic.twitter.com/GjYiqsj0qs
— Charlie Morgan (@CharlieFelix) September 28, 2024
Reaction
It was a lovely moment and the Red Rose front-rower received praise for his touch of class.
“Stop making me like England players,” a Wales fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Another person added: “For all Ellis’s supposedly rough edges there is a big vein of class running through him.”
Some even found it emotional, with one writing: “That has inexplicably moved me…”, while another stated: “Lovely moment. Really nice interaction between players who were trying to bend each other in half during the game.”
READ MORE: Gloucester boss hails ‘good bloke’ Christian Wade after early ‘grace period’ back in the Premiership
