Youngs now has the appetite to become one of the game's greats

THERE must still, it seems, always be a watchful eye on his sweet consumption, but England coach Eddie Jones is adamant Ben Youngs can become one of rugby union's finest scrum-halves.
England's Ben Youngs passes to Owen Farrell to score his side's fourth try.England's Ben Youngs passes to Owen Farrell to score his side's fourth try.
England's Ben Youngs passes to Owen Farrell to score his side's fourth try.

The Leicester Tigers No 9, who has lost some weight this season in a bid to take his game to new levels, was certainly in dynamic form on Saturday as England finally ended their decade-long wait for a success over South Africa.

Jones quipped afterwards that you “can see his cheekbones now” when asked about Youngs’s new, leaner frame.

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It was, in fact, a couple of cheeky dummies that proved the highlights of this performance as the national side picked up their 10th straight win under the Australian since he replaced Stuart Lancaster.

Youngs, who now has 62 caps but is constantly fighting the likes of Danny Care to retain the England starting role, twice fooled the Springboks’ defence to slice through and create second-half tries for colleagues George Ford and Owen Farrell.

The trickery and dare on show was a skill that is sometimes under-used in the modern game but Jones believes the 27-year-old can improve that quality further and establish himself as a true great.

“Ben’s got potential to be one of the best half-backs in the world and that’s where we want him to be,” said the coach, whose squad face their second autumn international against Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday.

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“He’s got a nice turn of pace and a nice awareness of space, too. We want to develop that running game of his that he showed (on Saturday).

“But he’s got an exceptional kicking game as well. The only half-back I’ve seen with a kicking game like that is Fourie du Preez.

“The influence du Preez has on the Springboks, he can have that sort of influence for us. We want to be the sort of team that can play completely off nine, completely off 10 or completely off 12; that makes it so hard to defend.”

The disappointing Springboks certainly found it hard to defend against England as the Red Rose continued their impressive development under Jones’s astute management.

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They, of course, sadly do not have the presence of du Preez, the 2007 World Cup winner, and his 76 caps any more, nor the likes of Victor Matfield and Jean de Villiers, who all retired from international rugby after last year’s global tournament.

It is plain to see this current South African side is struggling to adjust after so many – as Jones described – “iconic” names stepped aside, the ease with which Youngs could twice glide into space merely highlighting the inefficiencies blighting them.

Spare a thought, though, in particular for Pieter-Steph du Toit, the hapless openside who both times was embarrassingly deceived by Young’s magic.

All sides, however, are coming unstuck against this relentless England as they continue their 100 per cent record in 2016, incorporating a grand slam and series whitewash in Australia along the way.

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That Jones was missing six players from the side that defeated the Wallabies in June demonstrates just how much strength in depth they have, too.

Locks Courtney Lawes – who scored his first international try in his 50th appearance – and Joe Launchbury were both recalled due to injuries elsewhere and both flourished while winger Jonny May also benefited from others being sidelined, producing a fine finish to a lovely handling move in the first period.

Farrell, once more showing all the authority, which saw him up for World Rugby Player of the Year last night, was excellent again, kicking 16 points but handing over one 50m penalty to Elliot Daly, whose heftier left boot successfully negotiated the task.

Jones could make some changes for Fiji this Saturday but he will not do so just for the sake of it.

“We want to keep improving,” he added.

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“But I’m only going to select people I think can potentially be better than those in there already.

“I want people to deserve their opportunity; to start for England has to be the most proudest thing you do in your life. To do that you have to earn that opportunity and there’s a few players in the squad who have earned that.

“But if you come in as a fly-by-night you’re not going to start for England.”

South Africa scored tries via Johan Goosen just before the hour and, late on, Willie le Roux but caused few problems, Pat Lambie kicking nine points.

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They lost huge lock Eden Etzebeth to a head injury in the first period and, in the end, it appears the home side – who had not defeated the Springboks since 2006 – even took pity on them.

Farrell turned down another penalty, preferring to kick for touch to end the game. Asked why, Jones said: “It’s their (England players’) decision. It’s completely up to them, and I think they didn’t want to rub salt in the wounds of South Africa; they were being respectful.”

England: Brown, Yarde, Daly, Farrell, May (Joseph 63); Ford (Te’o 71), Youngs (Care 68); M Vunipola (Marler 63), Hartley (George 57), Cole (Sinckler 72), Launchbury, Lawes, Robshaw, Wood (Hughes 54), B Vunipola (Attwood 71).

South Africa: le Roux; Combrinck, Venter, de Allende, Pietersen; Lambie (Goosen 54), Paige (de Klerk 63); Mtawariri (Kitshoff 53), Strauss (Mbonambi 71), Koch (Adriaanse 53), Etzebeth (Moster 40), de Jager, Alberts, du Toit, Whiteley .

Referee: J Garces (France).