Ben Youngs: Leinster’s ‘pretty mega’ moment and the ‘intriguing’ Investec Champions Cup game that will tell if Glasgow ‘are genuinely in the mix’
Ben Youngs and an image of Brian O'Driscoll after winning the Champions Cup.
In his second exclusive column for Planet Rugby, For The Love Of Rugby co-host Ben Youngs reveals what it is like watching the Investec Champions Cup as a fan and names his Combined Leicester-Leinster Cup Winners Dream Team.
We are loving the Investec Champions Cup at For The Love Of Rugby. What we have found is that the competition has a broader reach with the Irish perspective, the South African perspective and so on, and the addition of the highlights clips on the show is a great way for people to catch up on everything that is happening.
There are so many games over the course of a weekend that not everyone can tune in live to everything, so we have found that breaking it into smaller snippets makes it digestible for people catching up. With Round One done and dusted, it’s now on to this weekend’s Round Two…
Three must-watch matches
Leicester Tigers v Leinster Rugby (Friday, 8pm): Being a Leicester fan, I can’t wait for this. You’d expect Leicester to bring all their players back – it already feels, after round one, a do-or-die game for them with arguably one of the best teams in the tournament rolling into town. That sets up the weekend quite nicely. Prediction: Leinster
Glasgow Warriors v Stade Toulousain (Saturday, 8pm): Glasgow isn’t the easiest place to go to, so I’m intrigued how this one unfolds. The Warriors had success in the United Rugby Championship a couple of years ago, but have never really gone deep into Europe. This game will tell if they are genuinely in the mix. Toulouse are the barometer of where you are at. It’s why I’m looking forward to this one. An almighty challenge for the Warriors. Prediction: Toulouse
Northampton Saints v Vodacom Bulls (Sunday, 3:15pm): The Saints have become pretty consistent in this tournament over the last few years. They are very free-flowing, with an attacking mindset, but this is a contrast in styles as the Bulls are a bit more structured, bringing the power of the scrum and those bits. Prediction: Saints
Watching as a fan after retirement
It’s been alright, to be fair. Naturally, when Leicester are on, I want to tune in, but I have managed to separate myself. I’m now a fan, and you just cheer them on. You want them to do well, you want the team to perform, you want your former teammates and friends to play well, and the club to be successful.
But the challenge for Leicester on Friday night is monumental. Against Harlequins last Saturday, Leinster were very business-like in terms of getting the job done. It didn’t matter what Quins did; they weren’t going to win the game. But Leinster certainly weren’t as well-oiled as we are so used to seeing.
That was obviously natural; they had been away for the autumn with Ireland and had just slotted back in. It felt like Leinster were only cruising in second or third gear last weekend, but now, given they have got minutes under their belt, the challenge for Leicester is daunting in terms of what they need to bring to compete.
This is the beauty of the competition. This is what I love about it; it feels like it is all on the line already – and we are only in Round Two. How great is that?
I plan to sit on the sofa and watch it on TV with a beer in hand. I will get all the access to all the replays and everything like that. I’m not down the road anymore. I’ve relocated, so it’s a decent trek now to get to Leicester.
Top five fantasy scorers: Ange Capuozzo tops the bill while veteran South African ‘shocks’ fans
Out of the ordinary 1
Sam Prendergast’s cross-field kick, I have never seen anyone kick it like that. That kick was like a goalkeeper clearing, like a side volley. You think of the traditional way of kicking it. He is a box of tricks, and his short kicking game is one of the best. I watched him for Ireland against Australia in the autumn, and some of the assists and some of the short kicking game he did that led to tries. He has got a lovely touch.
That side cross-field kick and the way that he did it was pretty mega. I also liked Max Malins’ volley for Saracens; that was pretty special as well, but it was a bit lucky that it led to a try with the bounce of the ball. For me, Prendergast’s cross-field was such an unorthodox way of doing a kick – it was incredible skill.
He missed with a cross-field just minutes earlier, and when it doesn’t work, you can go within yourself. But he has a wonderful mentality. His reaction was, ‘There is space – I have got to get it there’.
I love that about him; that he is decision-based and not outcome-based. He went for one kick and it didn’t work out. Right, what’s the next decision? Right, it’s on again. Now I am going to execute. Like, brilliant!
World-class partnership
Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack. Ntamack didn’t play any minutes last weekend against the Hollywoodbets Sharks but Dupont is back fit after his injury, so those two together in Toulouse jerseys, in European rugby, watch out for them at Glasgow. They are already well known, of course, but it feels like it has been a long wait to see them back together, so I am looking forward to that.
My Combined Leicester-Leinster Champions Cup Winners Dream Team
Leicester and Leinster have won six Champions Cups between them and here is my Winners Dream Team. Longevity gets Cian Healy in at No.1, but I struggled with hooker. I’ll go with Richard Cockerill, as he coached me. At tighthead, I’ll go for Darren Garforth, another part of the ABC.
Locks are Martin Johnson and Leo Cullen. Then Sean O’Brien at seven, one of the best rows to have ever played. Absolutely quality. I’d go Lewis Moody at six and then Rocky Elsom at eight. I still remember watching from the stands in ’09 and him making that break. Just phenomenal.
At nine, Austin Healey. Played nine versus Stade Français Paris and then 10 against Munster Rugby, but he set up the try for Leicester to win at Stade at nine. 10, you can’t go past Johnny Sexton.
12 will be Gordon D’Arcy, 13 Brian O’Driscoll. Arguably the best Irish centre partnership that has ever played. Arguably the best 10, 12, 13 that have ever been for Ireland.
Full-back is Geordan Murphy. Right wing Shane Horgan, a bit of a legend in terms of what he did in the Leinster colours. And then the other winger, Leon Lloyd was midfield for Leicester in 2001 but I have to squeeze him in given he scored the winning try.
LEICESTER/LEINSTER COMBINED XV: 15 Geordan Murphy (Leicester), 14 Shane Horgan (Leinster), 13 Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), 12 Gordon D’Arcy), 11 Leon Lloyd (Leicester), 10 Johnny Sexton (Leinster), 9 Austin Healey (Leicester), 8 Rocky Elsom (Leinster), 7 Sean O’Brien (Leinster), 6 Lewis Moody (Leicester) 5 Leo Cullen (Leinster), 4 Martin Johnson (Leicester), 3 Darren Garforth (Leicester), 2 Richard Cockerill (Leicester), 1 Cian Healy (Leinster)
Must-watch coach’s plan
I picked Bristol Bears’ Pat Lam at Scarlets last weekend, and that didn’t work out except for Kalaveti Ravouvou’s offload for Bill Mata’s second try. It was something to behold. Glorious.
This weekend, watch out for Glasgow’s Franco Smith. The reason is Glasgow can’t go toe to toe with Toulouse in the power game, so they will play a high-tempo, high-speed game.
It’s one thing saying it against these French teams, to move them around and all that, but it’s not the easiest to do, so I am intrigued by how Smith will go about it and how he sets up Glasgow to try and beat this Toulouse team.
Sharks chucked 18 offloads last Sunday at Toulouse, and it said they had fallen into the trap. If you play against a French team with that offloading game, it is fool’s gold because they are better at it than you. They have got bigger bodies that can offload easier, and the Sharks ultimately got blown away.
That is a good example of wanting to play good expansive rugby, but you have also got to pick the opposition to play that style against. If you are going to do that against Toulouse, you are playing against a team that are unfortunately far better than you at doing it.
Out of the ordinary 2
Who did I like the look of last week and can’t wait to see again in Round Two? There were some obvious players like Toulouse’s Ange Capuozzo, who was very impressive.
There was also a player who came on for Union Bordeaux Bègles, Salesi Rayasi, the No.23. He scored a try, and I’d not seen him before. I was like, ‘S*** the bed, he is good’. I saw him and thought, ‘Wow’. He scored by reaching out full length to the line and grounding it, and he also had a couple of nice touches.
Brewing up a Storm
I have said that if South African teams can win away from home, they have the opportunity to go deep in the tournament. Having won at Aviron Bayonnais, the DHL Stormers now have Stade Rochelais at home this Saturday in Cape Town. If they win, they will look like a team that can get out of the group.
Ronan O’Gara’s French side are a little injury-depleted at the moment, but there are still some things the Stormers need to deal with. One in particular is Levani Botia around the breakdown. Stormers play multi-phase attack, but the fact is Botia is still one of the world’s best at jackaling. Like he just is. He is incredible.
Stormers and La Rochelle have a bit of history; Manie Libbok missed the conversion to win the Round of 16 fixture in April 2024. But Stormers will have enough to win this one, given how they are winning away from home and the fact that they have some Springbok players to return.
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