Ben Youngs: Leicester Tigers 'in a good place' to defend Premiership title
- Published
Ben Youngs is England's most capped men's international player
Scrum-half Ben Youngs says Leicester Tigers "are in a good place" to defend their Premiership title.
Tigers have won their past six league games and finish the regular season with a home match against Harlequins on Saturday.
Leicester will face a semi-final trip to Sale Sharks a week later if they avoid a heavy defeat by Quins.
"We have hit a nice bit of form and got momentum going into it," Youngs told BBC Look East.
"When you get to the crunch time of the season, the semi-finals are always fiercely competitive.
"It's what you want to be part of, so I know as a group we are looking forward to it.
"There is a lot of experience within the group, having been exposed to it last year and winning it as well. But looking across the team there are lots of guys with international rugby and I think the team is in a good place."
Youngs, England's most capped men's international with 122 appearances for his country, said Tigers' bid for a 12th title is his only immediate concern - even with a potential fourth World Cup to compete in later this year.
The 33-year-old made just one England appearance, off the bench, under his former Tigers boss Steve Borthwick during the Six Nations earlier this season.
"All focus at the moment is with the club, and once that finishes it will turn to September and trying to be part of that England team going to the World Cup, which I'd love to do," he said.
"It will be a nice target at the end of the season to get to."
Youngs led coaching sessions at his former club Holt this week
Youngs was talking of his ambitions for club and country after taking a coaching session for junior players at his first club Holt, in Norfolk.
He said that he feels "a responsibility" to return to where he learned the game to help influence the next generation of players.
"I'm happy to come back to my old stomping ground and help the youngsters," he said.
"Everyone starts at grassroots rugby, I was certainly one of them.
"I hadn't been back for a couple of years, so to come back and see familiar faces and smiles on kids' faces was nice."