Ellis Genge warns Lions of Jasper Wiese

Leicester Tigers and England loosehead prop Ellis Genge has issued a friendly warning to the recently-named British & Irish Lions squad (for which he missed out on selection) to be wary of the abilities of his Leicester teammate, Jasper Wiese. 

Wiese has exploded onto the Premiership scene in his first full season in the competition and Genge believe that the young number 8’s efforts are worthy of national honours as the Lions tour inches ever nearer. 

“Jasper is amazing; he is incredible,” Genge said. “He is dangerous off the base of the scrum, he is dangerous off 9, off 10. He hits like an absolute truck and you’ve seen what he does at the breakdown. Plus he is good over the ball. 

“He’s not a great lineout option, although he’d tell you differently, but what he does around the park makes up for that ten times over.  

“He is a like a young Ellis Genge! He is probably one of the best ball carriers I have ever seen. He is a man after my own heart with the faces that he pulls when he is actually running into people; he genuinely wants to run over the top of people. 

“I think he’d be a great addition to the South African team that plays against the Lions.” 

Genge raises a valid point as Wiese has indeed been a feature in the Springbok conversation of late. A youngster at only 25 years of age, it is clear that Wiese has a huge future ahead of him and the likes of Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber will be keen to take him under their wing as soon as possible, especially with Duane Vermeulen in the twilight years of his career. Wiese’s style is, in fact, very similar to Vermeulen’s and he richly embodies the typically tough and gritty attitude which has made Springbok packs such feared opponents over the years.