"He is one of the smartest, most intuitive people I know. It is incredible that we have him as a leader within this team."

The England head coach has named the prop as his captain to face France in the Six Nations on Saturday, but his admiration extends beyond the field.

On 18 June 2022, with Borthwick as coach and Genge as captain, Leicester Tigers beat Saracens with a last-minute drop-goal to claim their first Premiership title for nine years.

It was during the wild celebrations at Twickenham that Borthwick recalls his most poignant memory of Genge the leader.

"If I pick out one moment, it's when he, as captain, was about to lift the Premiership trophy," Borthwick told BBC Rugby Union Daily.

"He had been working so hard and had led the team so well.

"He went through a tough spell with the club to get to that point. At that moment, what did Ellis Genge choose to do?

"He chose to share that moment with Tom Youngs, who had been through such an incredibly tough time. He hadn't been able to play with us that season.

"That meant a huge amount to Tom, Tom's family, the team, the supporters and it meant a huge amount to Ellis as well.

"He's got a big heart. That's the kind of leader he is."

Genge held the trophy aloft with former skipper Youngs, who retired from rugby weeks before his wife Tiffany passed away.

It was Genge's final act as Leicester captain before he moved back to hometown club Bristol Bears, but the 28-year-old - nicknamed 'Baby Rhino' for his rampaging runs - has seamlessly picked up where he left off under Borthwick's tutelage as one of England's standout performers in this year's Six Nations.

He has carried the ball on 38 occasions in England's opening three games - more than any of his team-mates. With Owen Farrell dropped to the bench, Genge has been promoted from vice-captain to lead the side for the first time.

Borthwick added: "An assumption you make about most prop forwards, not specifically Ellis, is that they understand the scrum - and then?

"Ellis is one of the smartest people I know. He probably understands a lot more than he lets on."

'He never took a backward step'

Moving away from the security of living at home with his parents to join a renowned rugby college can be daunting for any 16-year-old, but Genge adjusted to life at Hartpury College with ease.

The then number eight welcomed the challenge of trying to break into a set-up littered with age-grade internationals.

"The first time I saw him, it was at pre-season under-18s training and he was playing touch," Hartpury director of rugby John Barnes told BBC Sport.

"He was constantly looking for contact. You could just tell he had some edge but he was not nasty with it. You could tell he had something.

"In his first year, he managed to break into the first team, and not many of our under-16s get into that team, but he certainly had the physical attributes.

"In his second year he was made captain and you could see he had leadership. Yes, he had that aggressive nature, but there was control in it. A lot of our boys would follow him as an example."

Genge has always had charm and confidence but Barnes says his resilience and mindset not to be beaten really stood out.

"He bounced around campus, had the respect of everyone and conducted himself really well. He had a few tellings-off but the teachers really liked him," added Barnes.

"He never took a backward step on the pitch, even against bigger opponents."

From 'crazy rhino runs' to world-class prop

It was while he was at Hartpury that Genge signed for then-Championship side Bristol.

After impressing for the Bears, Genge moved to Leicester, initially on loan, in the final months of the 2016-17 season.

Three days after the loan was made permanent, Genge made his England debut as a replacement in a 27-13 win over Wales.

A member of the squad that finished runners-up at the 2019 World Cup, he hit the headlines in 2020 after describing England's critics as "sausages" but only became a regular starter in recent years.

Speaking last October, Leicester and England scrum-half Ben Youngs said Genge had developed into one of the best loose-head props in the world during his spell at Welford Road.

"When Ellis arrived at Leicester he was a rough diamond. He had all this raw power and talent which needed shaping in how he played," said Youngs.

"He'd do these crazy rhino runs but to see what he is now, he's totally different. He's one of the best loose-heads in the world, if not the best.

"That's huge growth. Sometimes you have to tip your hat to people because they go and find that growth by working hard.

"The Ellis that turned up at Tigers compared to the one today are very different characters.

"In terms of leadership he speaks very well. He's very calm, very measured. He's got a great feel with people in terms of how he talks and interacts."