Record man Youngs is guiding light for Jack
JACK van Poortvliet was watching in a bar at Welford Road when Ben Youngs set a new England men’s cap record of 115 last weekend, looking to follow the trail taken by the scrum-half.
The 20-year-old Van Poortvliet has spent the last couple of years soaking up information and advice from Youngs and player-coach Richard Wigglesworth as he establishes himself at the Premiership leaders.
“I went to see my family after our game against Gloucester and we watched England and Wales in a bar in the stadium,” said van Poortvliet. “When Ben came on, there was huge applause from everyone.
“We are so proud of him. It is a huge achievement and one he has worked hard for. To play at the top level for so long is testament to his character and shows how hard he works.
“He does not get enough credit because to be at the top for so long is incredibly challenging. I have learned so much from Ben who helped me adapt from academy rugby to ensure I could take the step to the professional game.
“Having Ben and ‘Wiggy’ to turn to means I am in a very fortunate position. If I do not make the most of it, I will only have myself to blame. I try and be like a sponge and take in as much as I can.”
The three scrum-halves are friends but also rivals for the starting jersey with the Tigers fighting on two fronts as the season approaches a critical point.
“It is a partnership at scrum-half,” said Van Poortvliet. “We do our best for the team and the coaches know that. We challenge and push each other every week and it makes us better as a team. You want healthy competition. I meet Wiggy every week and he challenges me on what I can improve on. When you see two young, great players like Harry Randall and Raffi Quirke involved with England it makes you want to push yourself even more.”
Wigglesworth and Van Poortvliet have been sharing the scrum-half duties in Youngs’s absence with England for the Six Nations. Last year’s England U20 skipper has started the Tigers’ last two matches, and been named as vice-captain.
“Each game is different,” said Van Poortvliet. “Some weeks you come off the bench earlier than others but whether you are a starter or a replacement, your role is similar. And the momentum generated by the forwards this season has made our job much easier.”
England’s Richard Cockerill was in charge of the forwards at Leicester when Youngs made his debut for the club 15 years ago. “Ben is the ultimate professional,” he said, “although I am not sure that was always the case when he was a young man.
“He has grown immensely from someone who scored tries for fun to a scrum-half who mastered passing and kicking. He reinvented himself and he is a totally different player now. All credit to him for playing so long.”