Ben & Tom Youngs Preview Bath Rugby v Leicester Tigers

Ben Youngs

Something has to give at The Recreation Ground this weekend. Bath Rugby welcome Leicester Tigers to their home patch, with both sides currently boasting 100% Aviva Premiership records. Last week the Tigers beat Exeter Chiefs, with scrum-half Ben Youngs’ try proving to be a significant score. Speaking at a grassroots rugby event in High Wycombe organised by Land Rover, Ben said Bath Rugby are likely to be a different prospect to last season: “It will be a new challenge going there. They’ve strengthened their squad again and guys like George Ford continue to get better”

Tigers hooker Tom Youngs - brother of Ben – looked at the game from a forwards perspective: “They have a very good pack. They are good at mauling from lineouts and we will need to match fire with fire”

Tom Youngs

Of course, with the 2015 Rugby World Cup taking place at the end of the season, many players will be keen to impress the England coach Stuart Lancaster and seal a place in the Elite squad, named in October. Ben could not deny that this was in their thoughts: “At the beginning of the season you are fully aware the World Cup will take place, you don’t want to be distracted by it, but it’s certainly on your mind”

And Tom had a message for all those players who may feel they are currently a bit lower down the pecking order: “Anyone has the potential to make the World Cup squad. If you have a fantastic season, whoever you are, you will probably open the door up and Stuart Lancaster will end up selecting you or at least having a look at you.”