MUST TAKE CARE

Youngs is inspired by Danny’s masterclass

BEN YOUNGS did not need England rival Danny Care to have one of the games of his life to know he must deliver in Munster tonight.

Care masterminded Harlequins’ stunning defeat of Saracens last Sunday with an individual display not bettered in English club rugby this season.

Youngs hailed it as “unbelievable” and the scrum-half admits:

“Danny playing well means I have to play well. It refocuses the mind, sharpens you up.”

But Care’s scintillating form is not the overriding motivation for the Leicester star to produce his best at Thomond Park.

That is something more personal, more hurtful and humiliating to Youngs and England’s biggest rugby club.

It is the memory of what happened when Tigers went to Limerick in last season’s Champions Cup and were trounced 38-0. In a European campaign of unremitting horror for the two-time champions, it briefly stood out from the 42-13 drubbing at Glasgow and 34-3 thumping at Racing as the club’s worst ever defeat in the competition.

Until, that is, they signed off with a 43-0 annihilation at home to Glasgow which then-leicester boss Aaron Mauger called “embarrassing”.

Youngs grimaces at the memory as he prepares to go headto-head with Lions No.9 Conor Murray (left). “Being a part of that team, a part of that history,” he said. “It wasn’t very nice at all.” Across those four games Leicester, five-time finalists in Europe’s premier competition, conceded 20 tries, mustering one in reply.

Youngs cites notable “distractions” – the sacking of director of rugby Richard Cockerill in January and his successor Mauger two months later. But Leicester are not a club to hide behind excuses and over the summer new boss Matt O’connor quickly confronted past failings and strengthened the squad.

The upshot is they arrive back at one of European rugby’s great fortresses leading Pool 4 and armed, according to Youngs, with “more threat and more firepower” than before.

They will need all of George Ford’s composure, Jonny May’s finishing and Youngs’ tempo to stand any chance of repeating their famous Thomond triumphs of 2007 and 2016. Like Leicester, Munster are unbeaten after two rounds and have not lost at home all season.

“We were blown away last time,” Youngs admits. “The passing of Anthony Foley meant Munster were in a very emotional state and we weren’t able to deal with them.

“To deal with their passion and physicality we must be both disciplined and unbelievably physical. Without those against Munster you come unstuck very quickly.”