‘England hasn’t got balance right between data and feel’

Former scrum-half star Ben Youngs thinks Steve Borthwick’s dependence on numbers may be inhibiting the side’s play

- HARRY LATHAM

Ben Youngs knows what it is like to be stuck in the stocks, pilloried by the public for the problems of a ponderous England side. On his way to a record tally of 127 caps, the former scrum half had plenty of rotten vegetables thrown in his direction; now, a year and a bit on from concluding his international career, it’s Youngs tossing the tomatoes.

The 35-year-old may still be charging around in a Leicester shirt but, increasingly, his input is being felt more keenly off the field; a shrewd scrum-half emerging as a considered, but often cutting, critic. Co-hosting the For the Love of Rugby podcast with close colleague Dan Cole offers the pair a platform to dig into the depth and detail of England’s performances. And while Youngs is happy to see good chums winning again and is encouraged by the potential of the squad, he has a few concerns over the direction of Steve Borthwick’s side.

“Steve is always going to be towards the more risk-averse side,” Youngs explains to The Independent. “Where England are at currently, the way they are trying to play the game is still a very high-kicking, pressure game.

“But they’ve come away from the blitz defence. To complement the blitz, you need a high-kicking, territory game. They are still doing that, but they aren’t blitz-defending any more. That feels disjointed. They are kicking without squeezing teams.

“The balance isn’t right – England need to get the balance a bit more between playing and kicking. You are still going to have to exit, but England look a little bit unsure of what to do next. There are certain aspects that take longer than others to nail. I look at the attacking instincts England do possess, and I think that some of that could be fast-tracked.”