Ben Youngs: England scrum-half not taking ambitions of fourth World Cup for granted

Ben Youngs made his elder England debut successful 2010

He has earned much England caps than immoderate antheral and has conscionable been called up to the nationalist squad by a caput manager helium won a Premiership rubric with conscionable months ago, yet Ben Youngs refuses to instrumentality his ambitions of playing successful a 4th World Cup for granted.

Less than a period ago, the experienced playmaker was being called upon astatine nine level by Borthwick.

Still, Youngs does not spot that level of familiarity arsenic immoderate crushed to consciousness assured of his spot connected the planetary signifier - 1 helium has graced for much than a decennary - with the World Cup successful France little than 8 months away.

"It doesn't warrant anything," Youngs told BBC Sport.

"I don't deliberation determination is immoderate crushed for them to prime guys due to the fact that they worked with them. They are planetary coaches present - they person a immense subordinate excavation to take from.

"At this signifier I person to play arsenic good arsenic I tin for Tigers and if I get to play for England successful the adjacent 9 months, that volition beryllium fantastic."

'Hunger for planetary rugby not changed'

This year's tourney successful France has been a "sharp focus" for Youngs from the infinitesimal helium and his crestfallen England team-mates watched South Africa observe their World Cup last triumph against them successful Yokohama successful 2019.

"My hunger to play internationally hasn't changed," helium said. "My semipermanent extremity ever since coming backmost from 2019 was wanting to marque the adjacent one.

"That hasn't changed, careless of Steve going successful oregon if (former coach) Eddie (Jones) was inactive there. It's irrelevant.

"Whether I marque it oregon not, I don't now. It's not going to halt maine from trying to execute that."

Youngs, who became England's most-capped antheral subordinate successful past year's Six Nations and has taken that grounds to 121 appearances, missed past summer's circuit of Australia aft a taxing play connected and disconnected the pitch.

Tiffany Youngs, the woman of his member and erstwhile nine and state team-mate Tom, passed away conscionable weeks earlier Tigers won their 11th Premiership title, and archetypal for 9 years.

Staying 'fresh' and breaking record

His instrumentality for the autumn internationals saw him stock the fig 9 garment with Tigers team-mate Jack van Poortvliet.

Again they person been called up together, with Northampton's uncapped scrum-half Alex Mitchell besides named successful the Six Nations squad by Borthwick.

"When you person guys similar Jack coming successful and driving it and pushing himself, you get dragged with it and vice versa," Youngs said.

"We person ever looked astatine it, myself and Jack, arsenic a seamless 80-minute crippled astatine nine. Whether helium starts and I finish, oregon the different mode around, it should look accordant for the 80 minutes - however we play should beryllium smooth.

"We look astatine it with pridefulness if we present successful 80 minutes. Team enactment and moving unneurotic is truly important.

"We effort to bash it present astatine the nine and hopefully we get the accidental to bash it for England."

Youngs said the interruption helium was afforded successful the summer, and the duties helium has shared with Van Poortvliet and Richard Wigglesworth - earlier the 38-year-old retired arsenic a subordinate to instrumentality implicit arsenic Tigers interim caput manager - person helped him "stay fresh".

This being a subordinate who has been portion of Tigers' elder squad for 16 years, and who equalled the club's quality grounds successful the European Champions Cup erstwhile helium started successful past week's triumph astatine Clermont.

If helium lines up against Ospreys connected Friday, Youngs volition surpass Geordan Murphy arsenic the club's most-capped subordinate successful Europe's top-tier.

With a spot successful the knockout signifier of the continent's astir prestigious contention already secured, Youngs hopes the English rubric holders tin situation for the coveted portion of silverware they person failed to triumph since retaining the crown successful 2002.

They person doubly reached the last since, losing successful 2007 and 2008, and were astir precocious beaten successful the second-tier European Challenge Cup last successful 2021.

"When you truly look astatine it, Leicester are renowned arsenic a European unit but we haven't really won it for perfectly years," Youngs said.

"When you look astatine it similar that, we are really not a European elephantine really. I'd emotion the accidental to spell acold successful Europe and triumph it.

"It's thing I don't consciousness we person ever got adjacent to doing portion I've been here. It we got that opportunity, it would beryllium hard to bushed arsenic acold arsenic nine worldly goes."