Ghiraldini: Ben Youngs is an absolute legend

Ben Youngs made history against Wales in Round 3 of the Guinness Six Nations and for one of his former Leicester Tigers teammates, it is his ability to stay calm under pressure that has been the key to his longevity. In the 23-19 win over the Welsh, Youngs became the all-time record holder for most caps for England’s men’s team, moving clear of Jason Leonard. Ad/> And Leonardo Ghiraldini, a Test centurion for Italy and teammate of Youngs at Tigers, was fulsome in his praise of the scrum-half.

RugbyGhiraldini admits Italy need to pick up results quickly26 MINUTES AGO Ghiraldini, who spent two seasons at Leicester from 2014 to 2016, said: “He’s a legend, an absolute legend. He’s just such a good guy, really calm and quiet and a funny guy in the changing room. He’s always smiling, even before the games.

“You get the impression that he never feels the pressure in the games. He has a crucial role, playing nine. When I was playing in Leicester it was tough to play nine.

Because you have a pack of forwards that want to keep the ball and you have so many characters and leaders but he was always calm. “When I played against him, you could see his ability to enjoy rugby. Even at international level, he just wanted to enjoy it.

“If you see him in the street, you can’t imagine that he’s an international rugby player. He’s a normal guy physically but he puts in the work behind the scenes. “I remember in Leicester he would stop after training to work on his kicking game or doing more shuttles.