eThe Llis Genge has something to descend from the chest. After some pleasures – his vacation earlier this week was a “nightmare” as his son has a chicken po – he quickly found his walk. England's props can't understand the negative reaction to their one-point victory at the Calcutta Cup last weekend. England won Scotland first in five years, and maintained their chances of winning the title with their second consecutive win at the Six Nations this year.
“As a player, it's difficult to digest the fact that people were disappointed that they were just returning to the Calcutta Cup five years later,” laments Genge. “We won the game, but people are still upset about it. It honestly blew my mind. Former players, recently retired, retired for years, people from years past, can't believe they're talking about how much they're in contact, how off the spill I'm reading. We've won two games with bounce, but you're upset about it, I don't understand that. You can feel people booing when we're playing, so as not to be naive. That's the feeling at the moment, for some reason, that's true.”
He didn't designate, but of the former players who spoke up, Will Greenwood and Ben Youngs didn't shine in particular, but Curling described the victory over Scotland as “very ugly.” Jange is too aware that England is at their luck to beat France before 16-15 in Scotland, but that wasn't easy to see, but his point is that Steve Boethwick's side was squeezed twice after not doing so. Of England's final 19 matches, 15 were settled below the score, but they entered the French match as they lost their final seven matches against the opposition of the Tier One. They may have played more broadly – Jange refers to Australia's 42-37 defeat – but the thrust of his argument is that England have found a narrow win trick, but they are still being criticized.
“It's still… like 'England won by points', but for the last 18 months, every time we lose points, we've been slandered, over the weekend we win by points, and that's the same old story,” Genge says. “So I don't know, it feels like we can't win, to be honest. That's how I feel. If that's the case, it's like we don't care. We lost to Australia. Everyone was like, “Glorious, see how they move the ball.” But we lost. So who gives you fuck? You lost the game. Do you want to be part of a team that wins every game with one point? Or do you want to be part of a team that loses to 40 points 39 each week? I know what type of team I want to join.
“I understand from a fan's perspective. What they want to see. They want to see us through with backdoor offroad and no look chip and chase. But it doesn't win a test match. We won the game. The crazy thing about it is in Finn's case. [Russell] You can imagine this feeling now that you get that kick at the end. And fans, I don't know how they feel, but it's mental. The pitch fork comes out. ”
It's painful to say that Genge values the support of his English fans. I love them” – but I believe that we need to better understand what it takes to win a Test match. He cites South Africa's victory in England (16-15) in the World Cup semi-finals, pointing out how the Springboks didn't visit the pillars for their performance that day.
“I want people to understand that we know we're not playing the loosest rugby,” he adds. “I don't want to praise you for playing the loosest rugby. That's what we are. What we are. What we are. We are, we are in the outcome business, it's black, it's white, you win or you draw. But when we win, having a bitter taste in our mouths is confusing. It was upsetting for me after four years of trauma that has been getting something back and having an almost negative sense of it. This is a professional game and you have to move on.”
Is it inherent to the UK? Other countries will say they can find themselves in similar winless situations, but as assistant coach Kevin Sinfield points out, that's something their soccer counterparts are too used to. “Yeah, that's right [weird]Sinfield says. “And more, English. Absolutely. Look at the English football team and the amount of sticks they get when they're winning the game. They can't or don't play like Barcelona. If you're asking me what I stand for, I'm here to win. Of course, Utopia will win, win with 50 points, play free football rugby and throw the ball everywhere. But in reality, it doesn't happen.”
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Twickenham's loyal people have always been difficult to please, but perhaps distorted by the trials we frequently see of the Prime Minister. “To be able to build smart boxes and fight inside and out is our strength. We can adapt,” adds Genge. “The game is ugly, and you don't throw the ball in the last three games and don't do what the fans want to watch every week, but it's Test Rugby. If you want to see it, come to Ashton Gate. If you want to see some mental rugby, that's where you find it. In the last two games, you beat France at home, beat Scotland, but obviously France should have beaten us in 20 and Scotland should have beaten us too. I'm confused.”
In many ways, against that background, Italy is not the ideal enemy for a week on Sunday. The UK has never lost to Italy, expecting to win, and winning well is always there against Azuri. “I totally agree, but maybe people would have said that four years ago,” Genge said. “But I think they were great over the last period. They beat Wales in Wales. They took some scalps, so I don't think it's a team that people think they're guaranteeing a more win.
“Look at Wales on the weekend. Everyone was buzzing about how to play against Ireland. No one was blaming Wales? But we won by points and suddenly the headline was negative for us. It's a strange place. I don't surprise me because I think the world is in a strange place.”
