Ellis Genge reignites old feud in fiery tunnel bust-up with Gloucester
Rugby NewsFriday, 17 April 2026 at 22:07
Here was the spicy moment between Ellis Genge and Afolabi Fasogbon at half-time as Bristol Bears went on to absolutely smash Gloucester Rugby 53-12.
⭐ Save us to your Google Favourites for nonstop RUCK content!
There’s clearly no love lost between these two – and this latest flashpoint feels like payback for last season’s viral moment, when Fasogbon cheekily waved Genge off after getting the better of him in a scrum battle.
That “wave” quickly did the rounds online and added a bit of needle to what was already a proper front-row rivalry.
Fast forward to now, and Genge looked more than ready to remind the young prop exactly who he is.
It’s exactly the kind of edge you want in a derby like this. First the wave, now this… and you get the feeling this rivalry is only just getting started. Long may it continue.
After the game, Genge said: "The animosity is what people crave"
Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.
Bristol Bears: 53
- Tries: K. Marmion (4'), K. Ravouvou (14',17'), F. Harding (33'), Penalty try (38'), T. Jordan (46'), G. Oghre (56')
- Cons: J. Williams (5',18',33',47',57')
- Pens: T. Jordan (76' 80')
Gloucester: 12
- Tries: G. Barton (12'), D. Gwynne (40')
- Cons: G. Barton (40')
- Pens:
Bristol Bears player ratings:
By Charlie Elliott
15 Rich Lane — 6.5
Came into the side in place of Louis Rees-Zammit following the Wales star’s injury. Arguably the quietest of Bristol’s starting backs, with few notable moments.
14 Kalaveti Ravouvou — 8
A real handful throughout, proving incredibly difficult to tackle. Showed an unexpected willingness to kick early on. Took his second try well in the corner, then added another for his third. Also produced some sharp footwork around halfway to create space.
The hat-trick wasn't to be as he got replaced just under 50 minutes in.
13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg — 7.5
Played a key role in the second try with some excellent distribution. Carried frequently, often taking contact. With England eligibility coming later this year, the centre may well catch the attention of Steve Borthwick.
12 James Williams — 7
Solid performance, keeping things ticking over, though perhaps not as impactful as others. Ran some good lines and added a bit of sharp, quick playmaking.
11 Gabriel Ibitoye — 8
Found good space and carried well when opportunities came. Sparked the third try with a sharp break straight from the restart after the second, and also won a well-earned turnover at the breakdown.
Drifted infield frequently, so didn’t see as much traditional wing involvement, but still got through plenty of work, especially at the breakdown.
10 Tom Jordan — 8
Showed some tidy touches early on, but had a kick blocked just a few metres out following a dummy box kick, which led to Gloucester’s first try, a costly error but didn't affect them in the grand scheme of things.
Produced a lovely break and pass to Marmion that almost created a score and instead resulted in a Charlie Atkinson yellow card. Also delivered a well-placed kick to the corner for Ravouvou.
In the second half, made a sharp intercept, moved it wide, and then finished the move himself for the opening try after the break. His penalty late on got them up to 50 points.
9 Kieran Marmion — 7.5
Came off not long into the second half, after a very tidy performance in which he bagged the first try of the game, sneaking around a ruck just inches from the try-line to go over.
Elsewhere, he made some sniping runs and stole the ball very well from Seb Atkinson on one occasion.
1 Ellis Genge — 8
Genge set the tone early with a strong opening tackle and plenty of vocal fire. Carried with purpose throughout and won a key moment when he took a head shot from Seb Blake that resulted in a yellow card.
Also involved in a heated exchange with Afolabi Fasogbon at half-time, picking up from their clash last season. Went off just before the hour mark.
2 Gabriel Oghre — 7.5
Impressed at the breakdown, though had a lineout stolen, unusual given his typically high standards. Got himself on the scoresheet around the 50-minute mark and produced another strong showing from the England hopeful.
3 George Kloska — 8.5
Kloska delivered a strong all-round shift, carrying well and making a crucial try-saving defensive play on 21 minutes that drew a big reaction from teammates. He also won a scrum penalty and contributed effectively at the breakdown in the lead-up to the sixth try before going off after 57 minutes.
4 James Dun — 7
Penalised for an entry at the maul on one occasion. Put in plenty of effort, though without many standout moments.
5 Joe Batley — 7
Back from a thumb injury, he impressed with his lineout work in the first half and also secured a turnover. A solid all-round shift.
6 Joe Owen — 6.5
Carried reasonably well and was strong at lineout time. However, knocked on in the build-up to what would have been Bears’ fourth try after receiving the ball from a lineout.
7 Fitz Harding — 8.5
Produced a nice offload despite being smashed in contact and carried strongly throughout. Knocked on from a long lineout, and thought he had a clever, close-range finish over the ruck for a fourth try, only for it to be ruled out by the TMO for a knock-on.
Did eventually get his reward with a try from close range, and also pulled off a superb one-handed take at the lineout in the build-up to the seventh.
Awarded Player of the Match by the TNT Sports.
8 Benjamin Grondona — 7
Made an excellent, quick-reaction tackle to shut down Jack Clement straight from a scrum. Added a few strong carries and got through plenty of hard graft.
Replacements:
16 Harry Thacker — 6.5
17 Jake Woolmore — 6
18 Lovejoy Chawatama — 6
19 George Taylor — 4
20 Luka Ivanishvili — N/A
21 Harry Randall — 6.5
22 Matias Moroni — 6.5
23 Noah Heward — 6.5
LATEST RUGBY NEWS:
- Louis Rees-Zammit stood down with immediate effect
- Sean Fitzpatrick names his all-time rugby dream team and fans are all saying the same thing
- Stormers vow to smash home attendance record for a URC season
- Completed Saracens signing for next season now in doubt
- URC: Scarlets centre Joe Roberts back with a bang after missing out on Wales Six Nations squad
TRENDING
LATEST NEWS
LATEST COMMENTS
Loading
