johnthegriff wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2019 2:49 pm
Ben Youngs has made more than 230 appearances for Tiger, about 85 for England and a few for the Lions, not yet 30 he has been selected by many highly thought of coaches yet there are still people who have neither coached or played at the top level that think they know better than those that have. He has been relatively injury free throughout his career although like anybody he has had some time off. Harry Simmons was not ignored when fit, he came back from injury early due to Harrison & White getting concussions in the same match resulting in Holmes playing a second half at 9. Simmons was selected against Sale away had to play the whole 80 minutes and the following week was back in hospital for a further operation.
We are ok at scrum half. I think the squad is looking better balanced and with better depth than recent seasons and the young players moving up will hopefully keep on improving. Hopefully none of our players get broken in Japan, I suspect a little bit of cap being retained to cover that eventuality.
Absolutely agree re Youngs. He didn't play well last year but it must have been utterly demoralising for him, playing behind the butterfly pack of 2018-2019. Too many exceptionally knowledgeable coaches regularly pick him, for me to express any doubts about his pedigree.
You look at the pack for 2019-2020, the depth and maybe still one or two more to come, and compare it with the last couple of seasons, and it just begs the question, who ever thought that that 2016-2018 pack (the back 5) was ever going to be strong enough. It was surely the worst in the Prem.
A lot of the pack’s poor performances in recent seasons has been down to lack of depth and poor selection (Hamilton at 7 not 6, Williams at 6 not 4 etc) in my opinion, last year everyone thought with Denton and Thompson we had a backrow to beat but injuries to them too has meant that Kalamafoni has had to go through the same workload, which has decreased his effectiveness while Mapapalangi was not player everyone thought he was going to be.
Formerly of Burbaaage (not Inkleh), now up north at uni
I usually agree with your thoughts John but on this occasion do not. Ben Youngs is not the player that he used to be. Agree that our pack did not give him a solid platform last season in most games but on the odd time that they did, Youngs was very slow to the breakdown, his passing was inaccurate and he made very few snipes around the rucks.
In my opinion he is the weakness in our backline and although he is England’s no 1 choice there are at least 6 better scrum halves in the premiership
Young’s by his own admission has not been great for Tigers and had we had a viable option I.e. Saracens with Wigglesworth and Spencer he would have been benched.
His England form however is a different matter and he seems to be able to carry out Jones game plan.
Why that form has not translated into a tigers shirt is the conundrum but he still remains a fine player in my opinion
Youngs is a class player - you know what they say about class being permanent and form being temporary. Assuming a fully fit and healthy pack, I'd expect him to show his class again next season.
johnthegriff wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2019 2:49 pm
Ben Youngs has made more than 230 appearances for Tiger, about 85 for England and a few for the Lions, not yet 30 he has been selected by many highly thought of coaches yet there are still people who have neither coached or played at the top level that think they know better than those that have. He has been relatively injury free throughout his career although like anybody he has had some time off. Harry Simmons was not ignored when fit, he came back from injury early due to Harrison & White getting concussions in the same match resulting in Holmes playing a second half at 9. Simmons was selected against Sale away had to play the whole 80 minutes and the following week was back in hospital for a further operation.
We are ok at scrum half. I think the squad is looking better balanced and with better depth than recent seasons and the young players moving up will hopefully keep on improving. Hopefully none of our players get broken in Japan, I suspect a little bit of cap being retained to cover that eventuality.
Absolutely agree re Youngs. He didn't play well last year but it must have been utterly demoralising for him, playing behind the butterfly pack of 2018-2019. Too many exceptionally knowledgeable coaches regularly pick him, for me to express any doubts about his pedigree.
You look at the pack for 2019-2020, the depth and maybe still one or two more to come, and compare it with the last couple of seasons, and it just begs the question, who ever thought that that 2016-2018 pack (the back 5) was ever going to be strong enough. It was surely the worst in the Prem.
I’m opening myself up to abuse here from the trollers on this site, but here goes.... Ben Young’s I think is a fantastic scrum half but to me he’s becoming a bit of a premier league footballer rather than rugby player. At times seems very cocky, arrogant, dismissive. His famous interview at the end of England game last year, his verbals with refs, his arm-waving when decisions go against him. I have also seen him being very dismissive to kids asking for autographs on two occasions. Just get the sense he’s got a bit big for his boots and perhaps Jones keeps him grounded, but Murphy not so much.
Rate him hugely, don’t want to lose him but do want him to remember he’s a rugby player and not a footballing primadonna. Anyone else seen that side of him?
Personally I’ve not seen that side of him and am very surprised about the autograph thing especially if it was at Welford road.
South African interview for me was bad timing by the interviewer after a very disappointing loss, though he should have known better, and did apologise after.
Complete agree about the arm waving, he isn’t the only one who does it, but this is down to frustration about his sides lack of ability to produce quick ball and refs allowing opposition to slow the ball down. In the old days the scrum half would engage in some old fashioned rucking but it’s just not allowed these days.
Met Ben a couple of years ago and he always seemed pleasant and had some twitter exchanges with him since then in which he has been honest and courteous
South Africa interview was a mistake and any of us would have done the same in that scenario, Conor Murray is another expert at arm-waving but usually the refs let the Irish get away with their skullduggery at the breakdown so it doesn’t happen as often. Murray is a very good box-kicker, one of the very best in the world (although at the moment Spencer is pushing him) but for his only world class attribute is buying a penalty.
Formerly of Burbaaage (not Inkleh), now up north at uni
It would be interesting to know if the refused autographs were at a match or if he just bumped in to them when off work.
I am quite old fashioned in the view that when players are ‘off duty ‘ they are private individuals with their own families, and shouldn’t be approached unless they indicate they are they are happy with it. For instance it used to be that any given morning after training a number of the players would be found in Costas in oadby but that was their time and they were left to it.
Again this is my opinion and I’m sure others may feel different.