Ben Youngs eager to plough in with new England
So the prospect of Eddie Jones cracking the whip once he links up with England next week is not one that fazes the 26-year-old.
“I am looking forward to working under Eddie Jones and seeing what that brings,” said 52-cap Youngs.
“Leicester is a hard-working place and I’d imagine it will be similar in terms of that mind-set and the way he goes about things.
“I’ve never had any involvement with him so until I’m in there and training I won’t know what to expect.
“He’s worked with some of the best 9s in George Gregan and Fourie du Preez and the prospect of him passing on some of that knowledge excites me.
“It’s a new-look England so it’s an exciting time all round.”
Brother Tom will be conspicuous by his absence at Pennyhill Park after Jones overlooked the Leicester hooker for the Six Nations.
“Obviously he was gutted but he is determined to train as hard as he can and perform as well as he can in the hope of getting another chance with England further down the line,” said Ben.
Stade Francais will be the next team to feel the full force of Tom’s frustration when the Tigers take on the reigning Top 14 champions in their own backyard today.
Leicester have the opportunity to go through the pool stages of the European Cup with a clean sweep, having backed up their opening round 33-20 win against Stade with doubles over Munster and Treviso.
Scrum-half Youngs said there was no lack of motivation from within the squad even though they have already secured a home quarter-final for the first time since 2009.
“We’re really pleased with where we sit in Europe,” said Youngs, whose three tries this season have come in the Champions Cup.
“We want to win again at the weekend and go unbeaten through the pool stages and also give ourselves a good seeding for the next round. Things like that are important if you’re going to take the next step. Last year we were decimated by injuries but this time around we’ve got a fit and hungry squad and we’re desperate to do well in Europe.
“We know it is going to be a very hard challenge this weekend, they were Top 14 champions last year and traditionally French teams are very different at home than away.
“They are very good on turnovers and quick lineouts and kick returns, and they’ve got Jonathan Danty in midfield who is a big guy and a powerful runner who’ll look to do some damage.”
Youngs has put the disappointment of the World Cup and a post-tournament ankle injury firmly behind him and is running free again under the new-look Tigers coaching team of Aaron Mauger and Scott Hansen.
“Working under Aaron Mauger and Scotty Hansen has been awesome, it’s a really enjoyable place to be at the moment.
“Scotty is a real character and has got the boys buzzing. His meetings are always entertaining.
“He’s worked with some of the best 9s in New Zealand and I really feel like I’ve got another layer to my game.
“I’m more mature in my game management and I also feel a bit freer. It’s great having the confidence and the backing of the coaches to play ‘in the moment’ and to do what your instincts are telling you to do.”
JON NEWCOMBE
