Ben Youngs looks to have solidified his place as England's starting scrum-half, and it appears that coach Eddie Jones' man management skills (and diet tips) are the reason behind his recent good form.
Jones has special praise for Youngs and Courtney Lawes after the Autumn Series, which saw England claim their 14th test victory in a row with wins over Argentina, Australia, Fiji and South Africa.
Noting that his performances over the last few weeks have merited consideration in the British and Irish Lions squad, Jones noted that when he first took over, he told the no. 9 that he needed to lose some weight...and he made no bones about it.
Leicester coach Richard Cockerill revealed that Jones told Youngs he was "too fat," and threw a bag of sweets at him to make his point as clearly as possible.
Jones said, however, that "[Youngs] was really good. I am glad he knocked back that bag of lollies, it was a really good decision by him."
Speaking in the wake of the undefeated run, Youngs stated that while Eddie's methods can be blunt at times, they certainly worked for him.
"The way the game is going it is quicker and faster, and he needed me to operate at a higher level than what I was operating at. When a coach tells you to lose a couple of kilos, there could be a lot worse things to work on. Just cut down on portions and you are near enough there. We do that, and he doesn't mind giving some banter to the boys.
"I am really enjoying my rugby," Youngs told ESPN, "and that's credit to, that's thanks to Eddie, I guess. He's got this attacking framework, it's enjoyable to play in, he's given this side belief, he's given individuals confidence - and he's not letting me have any chocolate. It seems to be working anyway, so we'll continue to do it."
Via ESPN
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