Youngs wants sixth Premiership title before retirement
Ben Youngs says he will dedicate everything he has left as a rugby union player to end his illustrious career with a sixth Premiership title with Leicester Tigers.The 35-year-old will retire as a one-club man at the end of the season, but with Tigers second in the table, he made it clear in Tuesday's announcement that his rugby "obituary" should not be written just yet.When talking to BBC Radio Leicester about his decision on Wednesday, the celebrated former England scrum-half determinedly looked forward to what he still has to play for rather than reliving all that he has done in 19 seasons in the professional game.The Tigers' latest title tilt is now an attempt to give one of its greatest players a glorious farewell."We'll do our utmost, and I'll be part of it every day to try to make sure we end it the way I'd love to end it," Youngs said."We are keen to really get after it in the next few games to give ourselves the best chance to get a top-four finish and a home semi-final, which would be amazing."In terms of reflection, there is still much work to be done. And when it is, I'll reflect."
His collection of Premiership titles, 332 Tigers appearances, four Six Nations crowns with England, four World Cup campaigns and a men's record 127 caps for his country has Youngs "full of contentment" in what few weeks remain of his playing days.While Youngs has started just three of the 18 games he has featured in across all competitions this season, he has remained a crucial figure off the bench when called on to replace 23-year-old Jack van Poortvliet - a fellow Norfolk-born Tigers academy product that has gone on to star for club and county.Tigers head coach Michael Cheika has used Youngs to close out matches since his arrival last summer, with the playmaker embracing the role immediately.He has seen out the campaign despite last year undergoing heart surgery and says he feels "fortunate" and "extremely privileged" to be able to dictate when his career would end."After this year I have nothing more to give to it [rugby]; I just haven't," he said."Whilst I still feel good and whilst I still love what I do, it just seems like the right time to walk away and be proud of that."
With Youngs amassing a record amount of England caps over 13 years, Tigers boss Cheika spent a lot of time analysing the scrum-half's game as an opposition coach while at the helm of both Australia and Argentina.It was against Cheika's Argentina in 2023 that Youngs ended his international career, as England beat the Pumas in the third-place World Cup play-off in Paris.The Australian coach could not help but laugh when asked what instructions he would give his players when trying to contain Youngs."Get him, bash him up, rip his head off and all those things," Cheika chuckled when listing what sort of tactics it would take to try to nullify Youngs."You have to be alert because he can hurt you with his pass, he could hurt you with his running and hurt you with his kick. And he can still do that."Cheika described having one-club man Youngs on his side for the past 10 months as "a pleasure", with the playmaker a valued figure in the dressing room as well as out on the pitch."He gives that bit of advice that he feels from around the group," Cheika said."He has been great for us whenever he has either started or come off the bench. He has been super competitive, which has been great."I have a lot of respect for him as a player and now as a person after I've got to know him. And I hope we can keep that friendship into the future."
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