Tom Youngs

[MrPartridge]

Don't really like to single a player out but 4 years ago he was in the British Lions team! Would like to know his first half line-out stats yesterday. After 2 weeks off you'd expect to get the basics right but it was woeful. He used to go on one 20 yard maurauding run every game but not now.

I'd take the burden of captaincy straight off him now. He doesn't get in the ear of referees and doesn't seem to have much presence. I'd give it straight to Barrow. Minus the burden of captaincy Tom night hopefully regain his old form.

[Cagey Tiger]

Is his wife still ill?

[Roly]

Don't really like to single a player out but 4 years ago he was in the British Lions team! Would like to know his first half line-out stats yesterday. After 2 weeks off you'd expect to get the basics right but it was woeful. He used to go on one 20 yard maurauding run every game but not now.

I'd take the burden of captaincy straight off him now. He doesn't get in the ear of referees and doesn't seem to have much presence. I'd give it straight to Barrow. Minus the burden of captaincy Tom night hopefully regain his old form.

And to think there were those that were apoplectic when Hartley replaced Youngs as England's first choice hooker...

[mol2]

Perhaps because Hartley shouldn't be England's first choice hooker either, rather than because Youngs was dropped.

The end of the season will hopefully allow him to get a break and next season (for me at least) Tom should be relieved of the burden of captaincy to let him concentrate on his own game and regain form. The back op and the family matters can't have helped.

On form he was rightly an impact sub for the Lions. At present it's hard to justify starting him ahead of McGuigan at Tigers.

[sapajo]

Is his wife still ill?

The club nor Tom quite rightly have never disclosed the nature or status of his wife's health.That said, he, his wife and their children must all be going through an extremely difficult time.

[ourla]

Don't really like to single a player out but 4 years ago he was in the British Lions team! Would like to know his first half line-out stats yesterday. After 2 weeks off you'd expect to get the basics right but it was woeful. He used to go on one 20 yard maurauding run every game but not now.

I'd take the burden of captaincy straight off him now. He doesn't get in the ear of referees and doesn't seem to have much presence. I'd give it straight to Barrow. Minus the burden of captaincy Tom night hopefully regain his old form.

It would be wrong to take the captaincy away at this point of the season IMO besides which you expect there to be more than just Tom geeing the team up. Yes, he's not been at the top of his form all season but you have stick by those with proven quality. Weren't people saying the same thing about Dan Cole not so long back. And Ben Youngs for that matter.

[Cagey Tiger]

Don't really like to single a player out but 4 years ago he was in the British Lions team! Would like to know his first half line-out stats yesterday. After 2 weeks off you'd expect to get the basics right but it was woeful. He used to go on one 20 yard maurauding run every game but not now.

I'd take the burden of captaincy straight off him now. He doesn't get in the ear of referees and doesn't seem to have much presence. I'd give it straight to Barrow. Minus the burden of captaincy Tom night hopefully regain his old form.

It would be wrong to take the captaincy away at this point of the season IMO besides which you expect there to be more than just Tom geeing the team up. Yes, he's not been at the top of his form all season but you have stick by those with proven quality. Weren't people saying the same thing about Dan Cole not so long back. And Ben Youngs for that matter.

And just about everybody else in the squad at various times

[Iain]

He didn't have a good game on Saturday. I'm led to believe there are reasons that might explain it.

Let's leave discussion at that.

[Latecomer]

Cohen paid glowing tribute to Tom Youngs in his piece in the programme on Saturday. Talked about his ability to influence both players and the board. Agree this hasn't been his best season, but plainly senior management like him.

[Noddy555]

That's almost as big a mystery as to what happened to the RFU's common sense but not quite. His line throwing at the moment is laughable. This Saturday I'd play George McGuigan or Harry Thacker at hooker. Tom seems to have lost the plot and I think he needs to spend some time away from the game so he can concentrate on practising those areas which need attention.

[JackFlashJonny]

He must be on a big salary and is probably our 3rd best hooker at present..That is the unfortunate part from the cap perspective..that and for me he is an awful captain

I think Tom should have some time away and I hope things get better for him on the field but more importantly off it

[Bunchy]

He didn't have a good game on Saturday. I'm led to believe there are reasons that might explain it.

Let's leave discussion at that.

Here here - have some respect for crying out loud....

[Tigerbeat]

A polite request to keep the thread to rugby related issues with regards to Tom Youngs. I do not have any knowlegde of his personal life and believe that he is entitled to that privacy.

Hope that you all understand. Lets loook forward to to a good end to the season.

[Iain]

A polite request to keep the thread to rugby related issues with regards to Tom Youngs. I do not have any knowlegde of his personal life and believe that he is entitled to that privacy.

Hope that you all understand. Lets loook forward to to a good end to the season.

They are relevant to his on-field performance, but it's not appropriate to speculate on what the issues are.

Personally I would appeal to everyone just to accept there's an issue and to discuss it no further.

[Robespierre]

What has happened to Tom Youngs?

Tom Youngs is probably human like most of us who contribute to this forum and so from time to time, there may be some dips in his form.
Let's accept it and move on.