How will rugby remember Ben Youngs?
Longevity, consistency and loyalty are words you quickly associate with Ben Youngs, who will hang up his boots at the end of this season.
Longevity, consistency and loyalty are words you quickly associate with Ben Youngs, who will hang up his boots at the end of this season.
The 35-year-old scrum-half is the dictionary definition of a one-club man, having spent the entirety of his decorated career with Leicester Tigers.
In 2022, Youngs surpassed Jason Leonard's long-standing record as England men's all-time appearance holder and retired from the Test game with an outstanding 127 caps.
When speaking to Jonathan Joseph on his 'For the Love of Rugby' podcast, Youngs suggested he may have been enticed by a move to France, following in the footsteps of his former international teammates like Courtney Lawes, Jack Willis and Lewis Ludlam but has chosen to go out as a Leicester stalwart.
The numbers speak for themselves, but Youngs is a player who divides opinion, particularly between England supporters.
Youngs was considered one of Eddie Jones' untouchables during the Australian's hectic reign as England boss, with in-form talents in the Premiership, such as Dan Robson, Ben Spencer and Joe Simpson, often overlooked in favour of the experienced box-kicking nine.
Pragmatism over entertainment
Despite the two players playing the same position and both achieving notable honours with club and country, Youngs is as far away from Antoine Dupont as you can get from a scrum-half.
Speed of ball was never Youngs' priority and his box kicks, which were regularly on the money, produced frustration from most rather than appreciation.
Youngs' partnership with super sub Danny Care produced great success, winning Six Nations titles and going on record-breaking unbeaten runs.
The calm, safety-first approach from the Leicester man dovetailed brilliantly with his livewire replacement, who would take advantage of tiring opposition defences.
Youngs and Care are England centurions for good reason, but I'm sure Simpson, Robson and Spencer will disagree.
They were overlooked and restricted to limited cameo appearances in favour of the reliable Youngs. It's been a long time since Youngs produced anything higher than a 7 out of 10 in an England shirt, but Jones knew that while Youngs wouldn't set the world alight in the style of Dupont, he would always be a risk-free player who wouldn't drop below a 6.
Youngs deserves credit for sticking by Leicester during the dark times of 2017-2020 at Welford Road when England's most successful club endured a relegation scrap, and were nothing more than a poor imitation of their previous dynasties.
Family first
A British and Irish Lion in 2013, Youngs turned down the opportunity of going on a second tour due to his brother Tom's wife, Tiffany, being told her cancer was terminal in 2017.
In 2022, Tiffany passed away from her illness and Ben quickly ruled himself out of the 2021 series in favour of supporting his family during their torrid time.
Podcast hero since England retirement
Since launching his 'For the Love of Rugby' podcast alongside Dan Cole, Youngs has become one of the most likeable players within the sport. His charisma, cheekiness and people skills have shown the rugby public he is destined for big things in media post-retirement.
Youngs remains an outstanding ambassador for our game and deserves all the tributes he'll receive over the coming days.