Ben Youngs

Benjamin Ryder Youngs (born 5 September 1989) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Leicester Tigers and England. In 2019 he became England's most capped scrum-half.

Ben Youngs
Birth nameBenjamin Ryder Youngs
Date of birth (1989-09-05) 5 September 1989
Place of birthAylsham, England
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight92 kg (14 st 7 lb; 203 lb)[1]
SchoolGresham's School
Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College
Notable relative(s)Nick Youngs (father)
Tom Youngs (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Current team Leicester Tigers
Youth career
???? Holt RFC
2006 Leicester Academy
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006– Leicester Tigers 254 (210)
Correct as of 18 October 2020
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2008–2009 England U20 15 (20)
2010 England Saxons 1 (0)
2010– England 105 (80)
2013 British and Irish Lions 2 (0)
Correct as of 31 October 2020

Background

Benjamin Youngs was born 5 September 1989 in Aylsham, Norfolk, England. His older brother Tom Youngs is also a rugby player, for Leicester Tigers as a hooker. His father Nick Youngs played scrum-half for both Leicester and England.[2]

Club career

Youngs made his Leicester Tigers first team début on 11 February 2007 in a friendly match against Argentina at Welford Road, the match marked Graham Rowntree's final Leicester appearance.[3] On 24 April 2007 at the age of 17 years and 231 days he became Leicester's youngest ever player used in a league match when he came off the bench against Bristol.[4][5][6] Later that season, he played in the final of the 2006–07 Guinness Premiership.[7][6]

Youngs played 10 games for Leicester in the 2007–08 season, principally whilst Harry Ellis was injured. Despite starting only 2 games, but featuring in 17, Youngs finished third in the 2008–09 Guinness Premiership Discovery of the Season award[6][8] and won the club's player's young player of the year award.[9]

Youngs was instrumental in Leicester's 22–17 defeat of the Springboks in a tour match on 6 November 2009 kicking 17 points.[10] He was able to establish himself as first choice in 2009–10 season starting 23 games. In February 2010, Youngs signed a new contract.[11] His teammates voted him Leicester Tigers Player of the Season for 2009/10.[12] In a season littered with awards, he also picked up the Landrover Discovery of the Season award.[13] He crowned off the season by playing in the 2009–10 Guinness Premiership final victory over Saracens, scoring a try in the process.[14]

Youngs has also played in losing Premiership finals in 2011 and 2012, as well as starting in the 2013 final where Leicester defeated Northampton to seal their 10th English championship.[15]

On 8 April 2017 in a game against Bath at Twickenham Youngs made his 200th appearance for Leicester.[16] Following Leicester's home game with Newcastle Youngs was presented with an engraved silver picture frame in recognition of the feat.[17] Youngs made his 250th appearance for Leicester on 13 September in a match against Northampton Saints played at an empty Welford Road due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Youngs scored a try in a 28–24 win for Leicester.[18][19]

International career

England

Youngs has played for England U-16, U-18 and in March 2008 was a member of the England under-20 team that won the grand slam.[20] Later that month, Youngs made his debut for the England Sevens team at the Hong Kong sevens.[21] Youngs played in the final of both the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship.[22] and 2009 IRB Junior World Championship.[23] He was selected for the revised England Saxons Squad on 13 January 2010, and upgraded to the revised Senior Squad as injury cover for Harry Ellis on 25 January 2010.[24] Later that month, he made his debut for the England Saxons, against Ireland A.[25]

He made his senior England debut as a substitute on the wing for the injured Ugo Monye in the Calcutta Cup match against Scotland on 13 March 2010,[26] and was an unused replacement in the match against France.[27] He continued as part of the senior squad on their tour of Australia, and played in both Test matches.

Youngs made his first international start in England's 21 – 20 win over Australia in Sydney, on 19 June 2010. He played an important role in improving the England gameplan in the game, and scored a solo try in the first half.[28] On 13 November 2010, Youngs was awarded man of the match award for his outstanding performance against Australia.[29] Youngs continued to be a steadfast member of the England squad, including call ups for the 2011,[30] 2015[31] and 2019 Rugby World Cups.

After Eddie Jones replaced Stuart Lancaster as England head coach after the 2015 RWC, Youngs continued to play a crucial role in the England squad, being one of two ever-present scrum-halves, along with Danny Care. Youngs played in all but one (vs Uruguay) of England's record-equaling run of 18 consecutive wins,[32] starting 15 of them.

This run included the 2016 Grand Slam achieved through a win against the French in Paris,[33] avenging the defeat to Ireland in a match of similar importance in 2011, in addition to being part of the side that secured a 3-0 series triumph against Australia only a couple of months after the tournament ended. Later in the year, he put in some of his most memorable performances against South Africa and again against Australia in that year's Autumn Internationals, scoring and assisting several tries using his trademark show-and-go off the base of a ruck.

Youngs was part of further Six Nations victories in 2017 and 2020, scoring two tries in the 2020 title decider against Italy to mark his 100th cap in style. Youngs is only the second Englishman to reach this number after Jason Leonard, and immediately went on to win a further four caps in the inaugural Amazon Autumn Nations Cup [34]as England secured their second piece of silverware of the year. Youngs has said that the enforced break from rugby due to the Coronavirus crisis left him refreshed and recharged, and has stated his aim is to be a part of the England team for the 2023 World Cup in France, which would mark his fourth such tournament having been a part of the 2011, 2015 and 2019 squads.

British & Irish Lions

In April 2013, he was announced as one of three scrum-halves for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia alongside Mike Phillips and Conor Murray.[35] He made 2 capped appearances, off the bench for the first test in Brisbane,[36] and then starting the second test in Melbourne alongside his brother Tom Youngs.[37] He also made uncapped appearances against 5 provincial sides, scoring 2 tries.

Youngs was again selected as one of the three scrum-halves in April 2017 for the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, alongside previous tourist Conor Murray and newcomer Rhys Webb, with Leicester Tigers teammate Dan Cole also being selected again.[38] However, on 6 May 2017, Youngs withdrew himself from the tour party due to family reasons and was replaced by Scotland international Greig Laidlaw.[39]

International tries
As of 31 October 2020[40]
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1 AustraliaSydney, AustraliaANZ Stadium2010 Tour of Australasia19 June 2010Win21 – 20
2 ArgentinaDunedin, New ZealandForsyth Barr Stadium2011 Rugby World Cup10 September 2011Win13 – 9
3 RomaniaDunedin, New ZealandForsyth Barr Stadium2011 Rugby World Cup24 September 2011Win67 – 3
4 IrelandLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2012 Six Nations17 March 2012Win30 – 9
5  South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Ellis Park Stadium 2012 Summer Internationals 16 June 2012 Loss 27 – 36
6
7 ItalyLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2015 Six Nations14 February 2015Win47 – 17
8  France London, England Twickenham Stadium 2015 Six Nations 21 March 2015 Win 55 – 35
9
10 WalesLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2016 Summer Tour Warm-Up29 May 2016Win27 – 13
11 AustraliaLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2016 Autumn Internationals3 December 2016Win37 – 21
12 WalesCardiff, WalesMillennium Stadium2017 Six Nations11 February 2017Win21 – 16
13 ItalyNewcastle upon Tyne, EnglandSt James's Park2019 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up6 September 2019Win37 – 0
14 ArgentinaTokyo, JapanAjinomoto Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup5 October 2019Win39 – 10
15  Italy Rome, Italy Stadio Olimpico 2020 Six Nations 31 October 2020 Win 34 – 5
16

References
  1. "RFU Official Site of the RFU, Governing Body of Rugby Union in England". Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  2. Hands, David (12 January 2010). "Youngs brothers prove adaptable while following in father's footsteps at Leicester". London: Times Online site. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  3. "Leicester Tigers 21 - 41 Argentina". 11 February 2007. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  4. "Bristol 30–13 Leicester". BBC Sport. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  5. "White becomes Tigers' youngest Premiership player". 28 October 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  6. "Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs shocked by England call". 10 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  7. "Leicester crush Gloucester in Premiership finale". ESPN Scrum. 12 May 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  8. "Top award is for the whole team - Cockerill". 6 May 2009. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  9. "Vesty lands players' award". 8 May 2009. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  10. "Leicester 22–17 South Africa". BBC Sport. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  11. "England trio secure new Leicester Tigers deals". BBC Sport. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  12. "Players pick Youngs as top man". Leicester Tigers official website. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  13. "Leicester Tigers' Ben Youngs nets top award". Leicester Mercury website. 16 May 2010. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  14. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/apr/26/leicester-harlequins-premiership-flood-toby
  15. "Aviva Premiership final: Leicester 37-17 Northampton". 25 May 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  16. "Bath 27 Leicester Tigers 21: Anthony Watson bags late brace to secure come-from-behind win at Twickenham". The Daily Telegraph. 8 April 2017.
  17. "Presentation to landmark appearance makers" (Press release). Leicester Tigers. 18 April 2017.
  18. "Premiership: Leicester 28-24 Northampton". BBC Sport. 13 September 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  19. "Ben Youngs: 'At no point did I ever want to walk away' Leicester Tigers scrum-half made his 250th appearance for the club against Northampton Saints". Leicester Mercury. Reach PLC. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  20. "Grand Slam glory for England Under 20s". RFU Official site. 14 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  21. "England upbeat after sevens defeat". Channel 4. 30 March 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  22. Standley, James (22 June 2008). "England U20 3–38 NZ U20". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  23. "England lose out to New Zealand in Junior final". RFU Official site. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  24. "Senior England EPS Update". RFU Official site. 25 January 2010. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  25. "England Saxons 17–13 Ireland A". BBC Sport. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  26. Fordyce, Tom (13 March 2010). "Six Nations as it happened". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  27. Fordyce, Tom (20 March 2010). "France 12–10 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  28. Ackford, Paul (19 June 2010). "Ben Youngs at the heart of a resurgent England". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  29. "Youngs vows to improve". skysports.com. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  30. "Rugby World Cup 2011: England team guide". The Guardian. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  31. "Rugby World Cup 2015: England squad". BBC Sport. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  32. "How England equalled New Zealand's 18-match winning streak, game by game". The Guardian. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  33. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35821697. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55209573. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. "Lions squad 2013 announced". The Telegraph. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  36. "Australia (12) 21 - 23 (13) British and Irish Lions (FT)". ESPN Sport. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  37. "Lions 2013: Brothers Ben and Tom Youngs ready to make history". BBC Sport. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  38. "British and Irish Lions call for Leicester Tigers stars Ben Youngs and Dan Cole". Leicester Mercury. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  39. "The British & Irish Lions this evening expressed their support for the Youngs family following the announcement that Ben has withdrawn from the squad for family reasons". British and Irish Lions. 6 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  40. "Ben Youngs". 7 July 2019. Archived from the original on 20 September 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
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