SM
Real Madrid vs. Mallorca: 6 hrs 45 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Ben Youngs warn Scotland to prepare for "wave of white shirts" at Twickenham

:Headline: Ben Youngs warn Scotland to prepare for 'wave of white shirts' at Twickenham: ID:433986: from db_amp
While England's attack has rarely ignited over the past year, their ferocious defence has been a pillar of strength.

Ben Youngs has warned Scotland of the "wave of white shirts" ready to engulf them in Saturday's historic Calcutta Cup clash.

England launch their Guinness Six Nations title defence with a Twickenham showdown steeped in tradition as the oldest rivalry in international rugby celebrates its 150th anniversary.

The occasion's historical context has been embraced by Eddie Jones' men, who are ready to display a unified sense of purpose in suffocating Scotland – and most importantly their fly-half magician Finn Russell.

While England's attack has rarely ignited over the past year, their ferocious defence has been a pillar of strength.

"When we are in sync and we have that synergy and are going after teams, it's a wave of white shirts," said Leicester scrum-half Youngs.

"Whenever a bloke has the ball he gets surrounded and it's great to be a part of that. You want to play your role. It's a big strength of ours and it gives us a huge amount of energy.

"When the pack is going forward and rumbling, when our defence is where it needs to be, we are a very tough team to break down and get on the front foot against."

Youngs, along with back-up scrum-halves Dan Robson and Harry Randall, knows the difficulties in finding a way through.

"I don't think I could deal with it coming down to the last play of the game, like it did last time!" Youngs said.

"We massively respect Scotland and the way they play, with Russell in there who is a bag of tricks.

"Two years ago highlights how dangerous Scotland can be if you sit back and give Finn time on the ball and give guys like Stuart Hogg time and space.

"When you're previewing Scotland you're going to mention Finn – look at his short kicking game, long kicking game, his distribution. He takes the line on a lot, he's a tidy player and we absolutely respect him.

“We massively respect Scotland and the way they play, with Russell in there who is a bag of tricks”
- Ben Youngs

"We've done our homework on him. Hopefully that is enough to try and keep him restrained a little bit, but the guy can make things happen."

While the roller-coaster events of 2019 have left their mark, Youngs refuses to dwell on a staggering collapse that became an important moment in the development of Jones' England.

"A lot has happened since then – we've played a lot of big games and picked up a lot of knowledge since the World Cup," Youngs said.

"But it does sharpen the mind knowing the threat that they pose if you allow them to dictate their style."

amp_article__433986 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2021-02-05 22:22:06:
html db last update - 2021-02-05 22:22:06 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Ben Youngs

Click here for more stories about England

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool19144147192846
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest20124429191040
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
9Fulham207943027330
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
11Brentford208393835327
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2044123145-1416
18Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .