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'I'm not going to be Antoine Dupont... I'm going to be a Ben Youngs and the best version of myself'
Seasoned England scrum-half Ben Youngs has explained he won’t be remodelling his playing style any time soon even though he admits that France’s Antoine Dupont, his direct Guinness Six Nations opponent next Saturday, has taken No9 play onto another level in recent years.
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Now 31 and with 107 England caps, Youngs is by far the more experienced of the rival duo who will clash at Twickenham in round four of the championship. Dupont is only 24 with 29 caps since his 2017 debut, but he has lit up the imagination of scrum-half play with his recent form for the French.
“I’m hugely impressed by him,” admitted Youngs, a try-scorer in England’s round three defeat to Wales which has left them limping in fourth place on the championship table with their title defence in ruins. “I looked at Will Genia when he first burst onto the scene, he kind of changed the way that nines played the game.
“Fast-forward ten years, Antoine Dupont has come along and he will do the same, he will change the way that nines play. He is really flying the flag for scrum-halves. He is the best scrum-half in the world, one of the best players in the world.
“I look forward to the opportunity to play against him. If someone like that when you get the chance to play against him doesn’t bring out the best in you… like I’m excited and I put that pressure on myself to try and perform.
"Looking forward to taking away what he has"
– England are primed for the France dangerman#SixNations #ENGvFRA https://t.co/i3BssvDeTo
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 9, 2021
“He is quite unique because he is such a powerful guy for a very compact bloke. Ultimately he is an extremely instinctive player. The French pack once it gets rumbling, he is extremely explosive around the ruck area. He is happy to take guys on and get through those bits of contact because he is a very compact guy.
“Also, his game management is very, very strong as well so he has got the best of both worlds there. I don’t know where he is going to end up, another seven, eight years he is going to be incredible, isn’t he? I can’t compliment him enough. I can recognise talent when I see it, I can recognise a serious player in my position when I see it and he certainly is. I believe he is the best scrum-half in the world.”
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Youngs box-kicked to safety when asked to compare his own style of play to what Dupont has delivered for Fabien Galthie’s title-chasing French. “I don’t like to compare because everyone plays differently and you have got to remember as a half-back a lot of what you do is dictated to you by what happens in front of you.
“If your pack is rumbling and it’s going forward obviously it’s a lot easier position to play than if it’s a pack that is getting punished and pushed back. I just think Dupont, I can recognise a guy when he is at the top of his game and really nailing it and he is but I don’t like to compare.
“I’m not going to be Antoine Dupont, I’m not going to be an Aaron Smith, I’m going to be a Ben Youngs and the best version of myself – that is what I need to do and that is what I will continue to do.
“From my and Eddie’s point of view, it’s always been trying to be the best of yourself and what are the areas you can be (best at). You can look at guys. Certainly, you can look at some of the things that they do and see if you can add that to your game but Dupont is extremely powerful around the little contact areas.
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“He is a very compact guy, he is a very different shape to me so I haven’t got those genetics, I’m not going to start doing that. I have still got my running game and I do it differently to him.”
"We have got a huge amount to play for" 👀🤔#SixNations #ENGvFRAhttps://t.co/VZvb0aszWS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 9, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to comments