Ben Youngs is confident that Leicester ‘culture’ won’t be diluted by foreign recruits
The Tigers have announced the capture of six players for next season and only one, Exeter front row Greg Bateman, is English-born.
“You’re going to replace foreign guys with other foreign guys,” Youngs said. “Sometimes you have to get guys in who maybe see the game differently from abroad and then get the benefits of producing home-grown players later on.
“I think perhaps we haven’t had as many home-grown players come through as we’d have liked in recent years but you’ve got to be patient with that.
“Ideally you always want young guys who’ve come through the academy system and know Leicester through and through but the Premiership is so competitive now.
“This season there are six teams still in with a shout of making the top four.
“Do you wait for a youngster to be ready or turn to someone who’s been there and done it?”
Of the other signings, Worcester’s Zimbabwe-born lock Mike Williams and Blues back Brendon O’Connor are English-qualified. But the most recently announced additions are both New Zealand-born – Chiefs lock Mike Fitzgerald and the Waratahs’ Wallaby back Peter Betham.
London Welsh‘s big ball-carrying Tongan forward Opeti Fonua makes up the sextet of recruits that incoming head coach Aaron Mauger will work with.
Former Tiger Mauger is also set to add Crusaders colleague Scott Hansen to the Welford Road coaching team headed by rugby director Richard ‘Cockers’ Cockerill.
Youngs remains confident though that they will all seamlessly slip into the ‘Leicester way’ of doing things.
“I think the culture here is very strong, Cockers drives that really well,” he said. “They (the new signings) will understand the history of the club and the amount of guys that have come through the system and how important that it is for this club and for the fans and everyone.
“It’s picking the right man who’s going to fit into the culture. We don’t want to change our culture for one player, the player has to fit in with the culture of the club.”
Youngs has led the Tigers superbly in a successful season on a personal level. Three caps shy of his half-century, Youngs produced arguably his best performance for England in the last game of the Six Nations and is in line to be first-choice No.9 at the World Cup.
Having started the last seven games – his best run in an England jersey since his debut season in 2010 – Youngs is the man firmly in possession of the scrum-half jersey.
However, the 25-year-old’s credentials will be put to the test from two potential contenders over the next fortnight as Leicester battle to make it into the Premiership play-offs.
Youngs will face Joe Simpson, of Wasps, and Lee Dickson, of Northampton, on consecutive weekends in May as the domestic season reaches its tipping point.
“Everyone is putting their hand up to get into that squad, including myself, and we all want to be a part of the World Cup,” he said.
“Whenever you play against another nine it is an opportunity to try to put a marker down.
“I want to play in every England game, of course I do. To start all five games of the Six Nations gives me real good confidence moving into the run-in to the season.
“It’s just nice to be a part of a team I felt really matured and kicked on in the Six Nations.”
JON NEWCOMBE
