Youngs hails ‘unbelievable’ Ford

Editor

Ben Youngs has praised his Leicester and England half-back partner George Ford after the pair combined to good effect in the 24-10 win over Gloucester on Saturday.

Youngs scored two early tries in the game and was followed by a third try from Nick Malouf while Ford slotted all three conversions and kicked a penalty as well.

"We are certainly working hard on the training ground to get that telepathic understanding of each other," Youngs told the Daily Mail.

"It is nice when some of the bits we've been working on come off. There is no doubt he is an unbelievable footballer.

"The conversation we've had over the last two weeks is what can we do better, how can we help the team, as half-backs, to get the team in the game?

"We are desperate to try and improve each other and really build that relationship for the club foremost, and then international hopefully on the back of that.

"You would like to think that playing together every week you are going to get a lot better understanding of each other.

"You are going to be in situations in games where you both experience it at the same time, if that makes sense.

"If you play in a game where you are on the back foot and the lineout is not working, you have actually experienced that together already and you have already come up with solutions of what you will do differently next time, rather than do it at international level and not have had that mutual experience and perhaps come unstuck.

"When things go well, it's great. But equally, when it doesn't work, we both understand 'right, this is what we need to do, this is what I need from you and you need from me'. That can only help.

"He understands the game unbelievably well. He knows everyone's role and what they should be doing, so he is able to coach while training.

"And he demands excellence because he knows where he wants to get to and where the team wants to get to.

"He is on it every day. He knows when to unwind and have a laugh but when the time is right, he is absolutely on it. He's a perfectionist in terms of what he wants and how he wants it to be."