Genge Reflects on Enduring Impact of World Cup Semi-Final Loss

England is set to face South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday, 16 November, with a kick-off scheduled for 17:40 GMT at Allianz Stadium. The match, part of the Autumn Nations Series, will feature commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, alongside live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. This encounter marks their first meeting since South Africa’s 16-15 victory over England in last year’s Rugby World Cup semi-finals. England prop Ellis Genge has acknowledged that the defeat in the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa last year is an experience he anticipates carrying throughout his professional career. Despite holding a nine-point advantage deep into the second half, coach Steve Borthwick’s team ultimately lost by a single point, sealed by a late penalty from fly-half Handre Pollard. Genge, 29, entered the match in the second half as a replacement for Joe Marler. England conceded several scrum penalties in the second period, leading to Pollard’s decisive kick following another infringement by the English pack. “I’m not going to pretend that you completely forget about it. It is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my career at least,” Genge informed BBC Sport. He added, “It’s another game, another week at least but you obviously carry a bit of animosity from previous encounters.” The aftermath of that semi-final in France was largely dominated by an accusation from England flanker Tom Curry, who alleged that South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi had used a racial slur against him during the game. Mbonambi denied the claim, stating he had used an Afrikaans phrase that was misunderstood, and World Rugby concluded there was insufficient evidence to press charges. South Africa, the back-to-back world champions, will now travel to Twickenham for their first fixture against England since that World Cup clash. Vice-captain Genge is expected to be part of the starting XV and admitted that the scrums “are not going to be easy.” He further stated: “It is a huge part of their DNA from a young schoolboy which is what they cherish, and it also helps that they have 150kg human beings.” Genge emphasized, “Everyone needs to roll their sleeves up and be absolutely invested, then we will have it out.” He also acknowledged the Springboks’ strength, saying, “Credit where credit is due, they have a great set piece, but I am not just going to roll over and let them have it.” Despite the formidable challenge posed by the South African pack, Genge affirmed that England’s preparation strategy remains consistent. “You can wear boys out by doing too many scrums, you could do 100 scrums this week and it isn’t going to change the outcome on Saturday,” Genge explained. He concluded, “You have got to stick to our process, I think our scrum has been good over the last two weeks.” England has recently suffered narrow defeats in their last two matches against Australia and New Zealand, both decided in the final play. “It is tough when you are up against it and you need to shake that negative energy I guess and move on,” the Bristol Bears prop commented. He believes the upcoming match offers an ideal opportunity: “A week like South Africa at Twickenham is probably the best week to do so.” Genge expressed his respect for the opposition, stating, “Everyone thinks they are amazing, myself included, I think they are a great team. I’d love to get after the best.” Matt Proudfoot, who served as an assistant coach in the Springboks’ 2019 World Cup-winning setup before overseeing England’s forwards for three years under head coach Eddie Jones, considers Genge vital to England’s intensity. “Genge is the leader of the pack at front,” Proudfoot told BBC Sport. He added, “He brings a different emotional intent to the pack of forwards.” Proudfoot further remarked, “I would love to see Genge be aggressive. That is what England need. A talisman that is going to throw the gauntlet at the Springboks. I think Genge has that.”