Ben Youngs: Leicester Tigers must learn from European Champions Cup exit

Ben Youngs has made 16 appearances for Leicester Tigers in all competitions this season

Scrum-half Ben Youngs says the disappointment of failing to reach the European Champions Cup final could help Leicester Tigers in their quest for Premiership glory.

Leicester put in an error-strewn display as they were beaten 19-16 by Racing 92 in Sunday's semi-final.

Tigers are also just one win away from securing a Premiership play-off spot.

"Hopefully we'll be in the Premiership semi-final and if we learn lessons from Sunday it will bode well," said Youngs.

Leicester conceded 23 turnovers against the French side, in a game defined as much by Tigers' handling errors as Racing's ferocious defence.

"We got what we deserved," Youngs told BBC Radio Leicester.

"You can't play semi-final football and turn the ball over that amount of times. Every time we tried to put them under pressure, we lost the ball. I don't know if it was nerves, but when we look back at the tape that is what we will look at.

"We need to identify the reasons for that because that was really unlike us."

Leicester director or rugby Richard Cockerill said he was "disappointed, but proud" of their efforts in their first European semi-final for seven years.

"We are strong enough characters to bounce back from it," Cockerill added. "I don't think anybody can quibble about the effort, determination and 'bodies on line' stuff that the boys showed.

"Did we make errors? Yes we did. Did we make mistakes? Yes we did, but we put everything out there and just came short."