Ref Raynal put on red alert as Tadhg Furlong and Ellis Genge lock horns again

Tadhg Furlong during a Leinster Rugby squad training session at UCD in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Cian Tracey Twitter Email

May 07 2022 02:30 AM

Leinster have gone through the official channels in order to ensure that another scrum nightmare does not unfold, as Tadhg Furlong and Ellis Genge lock horns again in this evening’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final.

Just as he was during Ireland’s Six Nations win over England, Mathieu Raynal is in charge at Welford Road, with Furlong and Genge’s individual battle set to have a major say on which side reaches the last four.

Raynal repeatedly penalised the Ireland front-row at Twickenham, but the French referee later acknowledged that several of his decisions were incorrect.

Furlong – widely regarded as the world’s best tighthead – will go up against England loosehead Genge, who Leo Cullen believes got away with what could be described as the ‘dark arts’ in the pair’s previous meeting.

“We have had a fair bit of discussion and there was a lot of feedback coming off that game as well, in terms of some of those EPCR clips,” Cullen said.

“Some of what England were doing that day at Twickenham has been well flagged, particularly around Ellis Genge and what they term as ‘sidesteps left’ and ‘hitting and chasing,’ as well so a lot of that has come out through the EPCR channels and some of the feedback post-Six Nations as well.

“So, for our guys just making sure that we are trying to impose ourselves in some of those set-piece tussles. It’s a huge part of the game.”

All eyes will be on Raynal, particularly around the first scrum, as both packs look to lay down a marker.

“When there is a red card in a game (Charlie Ewels against Ireland), I think there is often the human side of officials where you ask, ‘Are you trying to even the contest up somehow?’ and there’s always a little bit of that going on,” Cullen added.

“Maybe some of the bits that Ellis Genge is known for, in terms of getting an advantage, he was allowed to get away with a little too much that day would be my mature reflection from the sidelines.

“When I was watching that game at the time, I was like, ‘What is going on here? Why is this stuff being rewarded?’

“That was my honest opinion at the time watching the game as a supporter of a big game of rugby, because it felt like a step back.

“I think that’s been all the feedback since that game as well. So through the appropriate channels, that has all been the discussion, certain things haven’t been allowed to happen.”