Ben Youngs brings the curtain down on his record-breaking career pointing to World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson as an example of how you “don’t always get the ending you want”.
England’s most-capped player makes his 337th appearance for Leicester in what is his seventh Gallagher Premiership final. He has won five, whilst amassing 127 international caps.
There could be no more perfect stage for the scrum-half to sign off than in front of a full house at the national stadium, where he has racked up a lifetime of memories.
But Youngs, 35, said: “That doesn’t entitle you to anything – Johnno is a perfect reference for that.”
No fairytale ending
It is 20 years since Johnson hung up his boots playing for Leicester in this very final. A matter of days after trouncing Wasps 45-10, Tigers were hammered 39-14 in the game that mattered.
“What an icon Johnno is, an absolute legend of the game,” said Youngs. “But you don’t always get the ending you want. They got blown away in that final.
“It’s great that I get to go to Twickenham, it’s brilliant and what a privilege I get to play in front of 80,000 people one last time, but I want to get the job done.”
Ben Kay was Johnson’s second row partner in that 2005 final, just as he was in the England team that won the Webb Ellis Cup two years earlier.
He will be back at Twickenham tomorrow commentating for TNT Sports and he still remembers the disappointment of that Tigers team failing to deliver both for Johnson and their other departing Red Rose great, Neil Back.
“We thrashed them a week or so before at Welford Road, absolutely hammered them,” he recalled. “Then, come the big day for Johnno and Backy, we weren’t able to deliver.
“Did we feel a pressure to do it for those two? Yeah, a little bit. I think that’s fair to say. Particularly as it started to get away from us.”
Kay has Bath down as “overwhelming favourites”, a reasonable assessment given they have won two trophies already this term and finished the regular season 11 points clear of Tigers in top spot.
“The only thing is, it’s been almost a procession for Bath and there is a challenge to get the job done when it feels like it’s only right that your team should win.
“Bath have the quality and they play a style of rugby that is pretty all-court. They’ve got a fantastic group of front five forwards that can get you over the line from five metres. They’ve also got a back row and a back line that can rip a team apart from anywhere.
“Then there’s the worry for Leicester of how good Bath have been in second halves this year. I think we had a stat showing 55 tries in the second half for them and only 18 for their opposition. They’ve been phenomenal.
“For all that, Bath have their own battle to deal with. They have a huge amount of pressure with the history, how long it has been since they were champions.”
Bath were last kings of England in 1996. They have reached three Prem finals since, losing to Wasps in 2004, Saracens in 2015 and Northampton a year ago. In the same period Leicester have won nine.
“You know how it goes,” said Kay. “If Bath lose this one, they will be known as the team that can’t see out a final. Then next time they’re in a final all the narrative leading up to it will be about that. So, there is quite a lot of pressure on them.”
There is a belief within the Leicester squad that their players hold the edge when it comes to delivering on the biggest stages in the biggest games.
Consider the roll call of those for whom this is their final game: Youngs and four-time Prem winner Dan Cole boast a combined 245 caps, as well as copious league titles they have won European Cups, Grand Slams and a World Cup semi-final.
Handre Pollard’s pedigree
Handre Pollard has kicked South Africa to glory in the last two World Cup finals, captain Julian Montoya is a cap centurion and skipper of Argentina, the world’s fifth-ranked nation.
Often, finals come down to the goal kickers and this one pits Pollard, who missed three out of four in Tigers’ semi-final win over Sale, against Finn Russell, who has had another standout season with Bath.
“Ugo Monye asked me the other day, who would you prefer at 10?” Kay said. “The answer to that question is Russell, but after last week’s [goal kicking] performance by Pollard, where he missed everything, and with his history and his reputation as a big game player, I might go for Pollard, because I can’t see him repeating that.”
One way or another it promises to be a heavyweight occasion, one the retiring Youngs and Cole fully deserve to enjoy.
“Twickenham for me as an English bloke is iconic,” said Youngs. “I have great memories there. I’ve absolutely loved playing there. Twickenham sometimes gets an unfair rap as not the noisiest place. I think it’s terrific, sometimes even better at club level.
“Premiership finals often have the sun out, a real party atmosphere. When all is said and done the bit I’ll miss is that adrenaline, that buzz, that running out in front of 80,000, half screaming for Leicester, half screaming for Bath.
“The game ebbs and flows, you’ve got the pressure of it. That’s the bit I’ll miss. Those bits are why you do it.”
Watch the Premiership Rugby Final live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ from 1.30pm this Saturday.
READ MORE: Bath team: British and Irish Lions star overcomes injury concern as Springbok prop star returns
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/you-dont-always-get-the-ending-you-want-ben-youngs-reflects-on-martin-johnsons-farewell-ahead-of-his-final-match
