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.”
After back-to-back wins over France and Scotland, this perhaps feels a strange time to be questioning England’s strategy. Borthwick’s players, as Ellis Genge expressed last week, certainly think so. But Youngs speaks from a place of love and understanding for this developing team. If the Scotland performance felt like a step back from the attacking ambitions England have been hoping to show, a four-win Six Nations, not achieved since 2020, is eminently within reach.
The booing at Twickenham 10 days ago showed, though, a crowd yearning for something more than the prosaic strategy the home side returned to. Youngs shares certain doubts. Having made his debut during the lock’s tenure as captain and spent most of the last decade being coached by Borthwick for club and country, Youngs knows that the data-driven England boss doesn’t always get the balance right between numbers and nous.
“When I look at coaches I’ve come across, some use data to give them a steer in terms of what complements the team and strengths of the opposition, but a lot is done off feel and how you see the game. Steve is someone that is all about the data. If you come with an idea, [he asks] ‘can you back it up with data?’ It’s a very different approach. It has its strengths, but it also has its blind spots. You lose an element of feel because that data outweighs the decision-making. There isn’t data for feel or instincts.
“When you are a younger player, the coach has a huge influence on you. When you are towards the end of your career, you have got a real philosophy on how you see the game because of your experiences. They are never too far off – ask anyone what wins a Test match, there are a few fundamentals. But as a youngster, you are led; when you become a senior player, everything is still a decision.
“Against France and Scotland, it was just about winning. Brilliant – I’ll never shun an England team beating France or Scotland. But I think what people are craving is some of these messages [about the attack] being seen. Structured play going through the patterns, being able to pinpoint what they are trying to do – that’s what we want to see against Italy [on Sunday].”
There is a tendency to dismiss all data-driven environments as anathema to the spirit of rugby; an affront to the instincts of the individual. But each and every side in the world is highly attuned to the numbers, game planning, grooving and growing based on tactical trends. Youngs may have a difference of opinion with Borthwick on certain philosophies but, during his career, he maximised the data available to get the best out of his game.
The scrum-half marvels at the suite of statistics offered by the Sportable smart ball, powered by Sage. From spin rate to hang time, kicking distance to pass efficiency, the modern player has never been able to better understand their own game. The makers suggest that, in time, the technology may be approved for use to determine knock-ons, forward passes or even clean groundings – though others inside the game caution that it feels a little way off yet.
But the technology is already changing the sport. “When this first came across and [we] started using it, the innovation was beyond anything we’d ever seen,” Youngs recalls of how the smart ball changed England’s environment under Eddie Jones. “One of our key tactics was making sure that when we did kick the ball, there would always be a contest.
“With the wingers I was working with and how good they were in the air, I knew exactly what I need to do and where I needed to put the ball. Working with guys like Anthony Watson, Elliot Daly and Jonny May, I worked out their average speed to figure out the best distance and the hang time I’d need so those chasers could get there. Once I’d figured out all of that data, with constant feedback, we had a clear barometer to work off.”
Such insight is evidence of why Youngs endured across a variety of England environments. Unfairly portrayed, perhaps, as an inhibiting figure in times of strife, listeners to his podcast will recognise the enthusiasm Youngs feels for attempts to move the sport in a more expansive direction. “When I look at my early part of my career, or really up to 2019, I loved attacking and taking people on. But one of the reasons I had the durability I had is that I was able to go with the trends of the game. And then the game went through a really high-kicking trend. The way the game and rules were set up, it hugely favoured defence. Everything favoured the jackal and the defensive team at the breakdown.
“I look at the game now and it is great. Teams are attacking with more intent. It’s favouring the attack now and I’ve always been that way inclined. We want ball in play, we want more passing, more running, more athletes getting the ball on the edges. The contest and collisions are always going to be there, but speeding it up is really important. When the game is played at intensity with two teams going at it, there’s nothing better.”
Ben Youngs hosted media at a smart ball session with Sage. Sage is the Official Insights Partner of The Guinness Men’s and Women’s Six Nations, enhancing the fan, player and coach experience through innovative technology and insights into the game. Discover more rugby insights and how Sage can support your business at https://sage.com/rugby
