Youngs brothers are only survivors from previous Montpellier meeting
TOM Youngs has revealed a previous meeting between Leicester Tigers and Friday’s European Challenge Cup final opponents Montpellier remains one of his favourite games.
Tigers hooker Tom and scrum-half brother Ben are the only survivors from the squad the last time the two teams met, in the pool stages of the Champions Cup in December 2013.
Club captain Youngs, who scored a try in that match, told Leicester Tigers’ website: “It is one of my favourite games. They had such a massive pack with guys like Gorgodze, Watchou… and I just loved that physical battle in that stadium and that atmosphere.”
Youngs, who took his current season’s tally to five with a try in the win over Harlequins on Saturday, dotted down from a forward drive in that last encounter in Montpellier in a game sealed by a last-minute score from Vereniki Goneva, which was converted by replacement fly-half Ryan Lamb.
Looking ahead to Friday’s final at Twickenham, Youngs said: “Montpellier have a great squad. They are a very good side, they’re not in the final for no reason.
“They beat Toulouse the other week, who are having a very good season, and it will be a massive challenge, but we are looking forward to it.
“And it will be great to have some fans there. You miss that buzz around the game.”
Meanwhile, fly-half George
Ford has paid tribute to the Tigers squad for reaching Friday’s final.
“Obviously with the way the season has panned out… I haven’t played a lot of rugby for Leicester, particularly in this competition,” said the England international.
“The boys who have played have done a brilliant job to get us into this position. As with everything, it’s always a squad effort.”
After coming under criticism during the early stages of the season for a lack of attack, the 28-year-old believes the “layers” are being put in place to add more threats with ball-in-hand.
“I think we’re looking more dangerous, more threatening.
“Attack is always the part of the game that takes the longest to develop and we had to get some foundations in place before that… and now we’re adding in some more layers from an attack point of view.”
Leicester will come up against one of rugby’s most star-studded outfits in Montpellier, but Ford denied his team-mates would find it daunting.
“I wouldn’t say daunting, but you’re aware they are a team full of quality players with internationals across the board,” he said.
“They’re on a great run themselves… they’re playing some really good stuff.
“We’ll see the best of them, I am sure of it, particularly because it’s a final. We have got to be ready for that.”