Ben Youngs’ Investec Champions Cup: The world’s most in-form player, a crop of new No.9s and what has hurt my old club Leicester
Ben Youngs believes Ellis Genge is the world's most in-form player.
In his fourth exclusive Investec Champions Cup column for Planet Rugby, For The Love Of Rugby co-host Ben Youngs names his most in-form player in the world right now, predicts who will win his game of the weekend in Glasgow, praises a crop of new English No.9s and hails an unsung hero for his bucket-load of work.
With nine of the 16 qualification places still undecided, we have reached the last round of the Investec Champions Cup pool stage with several teams really having to find a result this weekend to progress.
It seems unimaginable that Stade Toulousain could be in this situation where they don’t get out of Pool 1; it would be absolutely bonkers if that happened. However, with Sale Sharks having already qualified, I can only see Toulouse turning up the heat at home on Saturday and beating Alex Sanderson’s side.
If you are going to play Toulouse in a knockout game in the Round of 16 in April, the opposition will hope that it is really, really windy and rainy. Having seen them lose at Glasgow Warriors and Saracens, that tends to be the key ingredient in terms of turning them over.
There is an element that they are just not used to it. I’m not saying they don’t ever play in bad weather, but if you look at the conditions in Glasgow and London, Toulouse were never able to get into the way they like to play the game – winning momentum, getting a little offload, getting in behind you and then speed of ball comes.
It became more of an arm wrestle match at Saracens and Toulouse didn’t edge it, but I am expecting them to win comfortably against Sale and get through.
World’s most in-form player
I recently said that Ellis Genge is the most in-form player in the world right now. You can’t underestimate what props have to do in terms of the work. It’s scrum, maul, hit rucks, make tackles but when you add all that with what he is actually doing with the offensive part of the game in terms of his carry, he has been terrific.
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We know he is a good carrier for Bristol Bears, but the England prop seems to be even more disruptive than we have ever seen. His involvements and the quality of each involvement, especially last Saturday in Pretoria, are just absolutely brilliant. I just feel like he is in great form at the moment.
Match of the weekend
Glasgow versus Saracens on Sunday is a fixture I am particularly looking forward to. Saracens will look to continue their result against Toulouse, but Glasgow is a really tough place to go, and Franco Smith has done an unbelievable job.
There is no one standout player. There are obviously a lot of Scottish internationals, who are very, very familiar with each other, and as a unit, as a collective, Glasgow are just very efficient. Look at the midfield combination of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, for instance, and what they are capable of. Their back-row as well, and Scott Cummings in the second-row.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know a huge amount about him until he got selected for the British and Irish Lions tour, but I have watched his progress and he is very important for Glasgow. They have a very rounded team and it’s hard to see where there is a weakness.
They put you under pressure through ball-in-hand. Some teams put you under pressure through defence, like Leinster and the blitz. Others do it through a kicking game, a high volume of kicks and territory to squeeze.
But what Glasgow are really effective at is just holding onto the ball and being extremely well disciplined and drilled within this structure. They are happy to hold on to it and go eight to 12 phases, beat you up that way so you give away penalties. All of a sudden, they are right on your goal line and scoring.
Saracens will combat this with a high territory, high-kicking game and I am going for them to sneak it. I thought Toulouse would win last Sunday, but that was a real statement performance of old school Saracens. They were just into everything, getting a couple of chances, taking those chances, defending very well and being very organised.
Pantomime villain Pollock
Henry Pollock played the pantomime villain very, very well at Union Bordeaux-Bègles last Sunday and backed it up by performing very, very well. It seems that the young Northampton Saints back-rower thrives in that type of environment.
The French crowd was hostile, getting into him and booing him, and then when he scored, he gave it the pulse check celebration. I loved it. I thought he was exactly what we wanted him to be when we previewed the match last week, which was getting into everything. The Bordeaux fans booed, hissed and did all that but it was all tongue in cheek.
We don’t see this type of hostility often in rugby, but the most pleasing thing was that while some players would have shrunken in that situation and gone into their shells, Pollock was anything but. He produced the goods.
Dupont in skins
I never wore skins when I played, but if there is a man who can pull it off, it is Antoine Dupont. What you are seeing with him is huge expectation, but you have also got to remember he was out for nine months – and it wasn’t the first time he had done his ACL, it was his second.
He is just returning and showing glimpses of form in the Top 14. We are still waiting for it in Europe, but it will come. He is the world’s best nine and it’s just a matter of getting a few more games, having a bit more consistency and he will be absolutely flying. I have no doubt.
What is going on is just the effects of having a long-term injury and coming back. It was also playing on a 4G pitch at Saracens and Glasgow. In the back of your mind, you are probably a bit more wary of your knee on surfaces like that, so all those things came into play.
Tune in to Bristol
If you want to watch great rugby, then tune in to watch Bristol. Last Saturday’s game in Pretoria was almost bonkers. Pat Lam’s side entertained with their ball control, how they found space and structured their play.
Bristol put in an absolute masterclass to beat the Vodacom Bulls, but they are going to need it again at home to UBB on Sunday. The defending champions certainly flexed their muscles and showed what they are about when beating Northampton.
It will be very entertaining. Can Bristol play with their pace and style against a very physical, well-oiled Bordeaux machine that also has absolute out-and-out finishers and plays great rugby? Bordeaux are the team to beat in this season’s tournament and I see them getting this latest job done at Ashton Gate, but what I do suspect from Bristol is scoring four or more tries and getting a bonus point.
One of their players fans may not know too much about is Joe Batley. When you look at what he does, his skill set at lock, his work ethic, he is not a household name but he gets through a bucket load of work and is great in those wide channels. I really enjoy watching Batley go about it.
Little crop of nines
I was at StoneX Stadium and Twickenham Stoop last Sunday and enjoyed what I saw at scrum-half from the home teams. When you look at Saracens sub Charlie Bracken and Lucas Friday, who started for Harlequins, you are beginning to see the next crop of young England nines coming through.
There was also Archie McParland, who played off the Northampton Saints bench in France, so there is a real sort of little crop of nines all coming through. The more games you see them play, the better they will become.
Given the conditions Bracken was dealing with, he kicked particularly well for Saracens. His core skills were very impressive and he is someone to look out for. Friday was also very impressive.
What has hurt my old club
Leicester Tigers are fifth in Pool 3 and can still qualify with a certain type of win in Cape Town, but I can’t see an upset result and DHL Stormers will win with a bonus point. What has hurt my old club is being in an extremely competitive group, and they have paid the price for not getting any points against Leinster Rugby and Stade Rochelais.
The team that the Stormers selected for their 61-10 loss at Harlequins last Sunday was one where they were holding everyone back for this weekend, and the Champions Cup needs a South African team doing well and progressing.
They have had success in the United Rugby Championship, but everyone is waiting for the South Africans to really stake a Champions Cup claim, and the Stormers look like the team to do that.
For me, Leicester are out and will hope for better luck next season. They will use this Cape Town fixture as a great trip away halfway through the season to create some memories and bonds, embracing the heat and enjoying it.
Out of the ordinary
Noah Heward scored a hat-trick last Saturday for Bristol at the Bulls. When he scored the third, he smashed the ball down and it pinged up and smashed him in the face. In terms of celebrating after scoring a hat-trick that was out of the ordinary. There have been better celebrations than that.
Pool 2 prediction
All six teams are alive in Pool 2, and it would be brilliant if all three matches at The Rec, Thomond Park and Kingsholm kicked off at the same time. You would keep flicking over from one match to another to work out the repercussions of who is winning, whether they had a bonus point and what that means.
They all have different kick-off times, though, and I can see Bath Rugby, Munster Rugby and RC Toulon winning and qualifying along with Edinburgh Rugby, who I don’t see getting anything out of their game at The Rec.
Munster have got a bit of work to do, but I suspect they will win with a bonus point. And while Gloucester were tough to beat at Edinburgh, they are struggling to find wins, so I am backing Toulon at Kingsholm.
Under the radar
Leicester’s fly-half Billy Searle is someone who is a little bit under the radar, someone not many people knew about even though he will be 30 years old in March. But with Springbok Handre Pollard leaving, Searle has come in at Tigers and thrived.
He is someone who isn’t going to get pinched by an international team and be away for long periods or anything like that. He is going to be there controlling the team all year round – and that is what you want.
You have obviously got the great Australian James O’Connor, who can back Searle up and mentor him a little bit as well. But he has really stepped up and been a great addition as someone who hasn’t got the name or the reputation that many other fly-halves have had traditionally in that Leicester 10 shirt.
World-class partnership
If Craig Casey was guaranteed to be fit, I would be watching with great interest to see whether his excellent partnership with Jack Crowley would deliver for Munster in Limerick. Instead, I’m going for Tom Willis in the Saracens back-row with Ben Earl.
I know Earl only came off the bench last Sunday in London, but I am assuming he will start at Scotstoun on Sunday. I’m looking forward to seeing the impact he makes with Willis.
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