Ben Youngs may be ten years into his star-studded international career, but the England scrum-half showed no signs of slowing down with another barnstorming Championship that he capped off with a brace of tries on his 100th Red Rose appearance against Italy.
The 31-year-old played an instrumental role throughout the disrupted 2020 campaign, but showed all of his class in England’s Round 5, 34-5 win in Rome that edged Eddie Jones’ men over the line in the race for the title.
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Youngs’ fourth Championship-winning medal was plunged in doubt after a Round 1, 24-17 defeat in France, and while on the bench against Scotland in Round 2, the Leicester Tigers stalwart started the subsequent victories over Ireland, Wales and the Azzurri.
The bonus-point win at the Stadio Olimpico shifted all the pressure on Ireland’s shoulders – who headed to Paris with a one-point advantage in the standings – but a 35-27 win for Les Bleus handed England the trophy for the first time since 2017.
And while a number of fresh faces worked their way into Jones’ plans during the campaign, Youngs confirmed he is still at the peak of his powers with a string of stand-out performances to earn himself a nomination for Player of the Championship.
Indeed, in 282 minutes of action, he proved his understanding of the importance of the territory battle by making the Championship’s second-highest number of kicks (48), for a total distance of 1,306m.
A total of 245 passes and five offloads showcased Youngs’ ability to get his England teammates ticking, while two line breaks during the series and his two scores on Super Saturday demonstrated his deadly attacking nous.
Despite defeat at the Stade de France, his influence began in England’s opening clash with a match-topping 74 passes alongside seven kicks, but he had to settle for a place on the bench against Scotland as one of five changes to the XV.
Little over 20 minutes of game-time in the 13-6 win at BT Murrayfield reminded Jones of Youngs’ qualities, with ten passes and 204 metres kicked in tumultuous Scottish conditions earning him a return to the starting line-up against Ireland.
Youngs played an integral part in the game’s opening try, fizzing a grubber kick through the Irish defensive line that Johnny Sexton could only parry into George Ford’s path before the No.10 dotted down, helping the Red Rose to a 24-12 win at Twickenham.
In Round 4, Youngs produced the first of two successive Player of the Match displays as England secured the Triple Crown with 33-30 victory over Wales, setting Anthony Watson loose for the opening score with a cleverly disguised pass.
He was also at the heart of England’s second and third tries, with sniping runs helping put his side in position for Elliot Daly and Manu Tuilagi to cross.
And he was similarly on song in England’s delayed final clash in the Italian capital, going over at the start of both halves to inspire his team to a decisive victory and mark a memorable milestone appearance.
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