The Times - UK (2021-12-18)

Chris Boyd was left to rue Northamp-
ton Saints’ sloppiness after they failed
to overcome a slow start against Ulster
and lost their second pool game in as
many weekends.
After their thumping home defeat by
Racing 92 last week, Northampton
were edged out by an Ulster side
buoyed by recent wins over Leinster
and Clermont, and who scored three
tries in a dominant first-half display.
The Gallagher Premiership side
fought back in the second half but had
to make do with a losing bonus point.
“It was frustrating, we let them get out
to a lead and we clawed our way back
into it but it was a little bit of inaccuracy
and not reacting to what was going on
[that cost us],” Boyd, the Northampton
director of rugby, said. “We came here to
get more than one point.”

I’m not done yet’

THEDEBATE

After the dramatic conclusion to the F1 season, Times readers

debated the controversial outcome with two of our writers

Michael Masi messed it up. There were

rules and precedent that he had created.

The twists and turns are, to me, irrelevant.

Lewis Hamilton was clearly going to win

and would have done had it not been for

the intervention of Messrs Latifi and Masi.

The FIA should find a way of declaring

joint winners.

Giles Schofield

I compared the last three races to WWE. It

all felt too unusual and, consequently,

contrived. Basically, Masi handed Max

Verstappen the win, and title, and he

knew it. Prior to that, the responses of

Max and Christian Horner on radio

messages felt a little too relaxed and out

of character, given that the title was

apparently slipping away from them. I feel

that I can no longer be confident that I

am watching a real race. Give me genuine

racing over managed drama anytime.

Doyle

Proportion of the total

miles raced in the season

that the last lap of the

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

accounted for

(Total distance: 3,976

miles; last lap length:

3.281 miles).

0.08%

Max is an

absolutely

fantastic

driver who

has had an

incredible

season, but

what just

happened is

absolutely

unacceptable.

I cannot

believe what

we’ve just

seen

George Russell

Michael Masi

has got too

much on his

plate. He

needs some

more people

around him

Martin Brundle

What next?

With Mercedes

withdrawing their

appeal, the result

stands and we move

on to next year...

I think the biggest issue is the

‘negotiating’ the Red Bull team (and

others?) have been allowed to do with the

race steward. I don’t know of another

sport that would allow that and it makes it

look like the rules are negotiable and

therefore open to abuse.

Ahh you found me

Agree Doyle. It is not the job of the race

director to make a race exciting. And as

has been pointed out elsewhere, if you let

lapped cars through then at the very least

that must apply to all of them, not just the

ones that will allow for drama.

Rick Broadbent

Nail on the head. I don’t understand why

teams can talk to the race director at all

on the radio. The content of this bartering

has been broadcast for all and must be

beyond the belief of most sports.

Rick Broadbent

He messed up as will no doubt be further

underlined when the rules are changed/

clarified before 2022 and, perhaps, they

appoint a more authoritative F1 race

director. But did he mess up badly

enough to overturn the championship

result after so many twists and turns?

Mercedes have decided otherwise...

Matt Dickinson

the times | Saturday December 18 2021 2GS 15

dangerous guy, I’ve enjoyed watching

him and when I play against him I

thrive in getting that opportunity.”

Few are better qualified than

Youngs to judge the merits of a

scrum half. He began his

international career

jousting with Genia

back in 2010, when

there were still World

Cup winners from

2003 in the England

team, and now he is

poised to go head-to-

head with Dupont on

the path towards the 2023

World Cup.

Steve Borthwick, the Leicester

head coach, set Youngs a new series

of conditioning goals for the next

phase of his career, to be worked on

with Aled Walters, the club’s head of

physical performance, and the scrum

half is feeling the benefit.

“I’m really clear about where I want

to go and how I do that,” Youngs said.

“Aled’s a great guy, his knowledge and

expertise is huge. I definitely feel

physically in really good shape. My

job is to try to squeeze a bit more out

of the lemon and get the juice and see

where we can take it.”

For a player whose career began

when Leicester were the pre-eminent

club in the country, whose father,

Nick, and brother, Tom, have both

represented the club, too, the

Tigers’ revival under Borthwick

after a painful barren spell has

been particularly welcome. In his

first job as head coach, Borthwick

has shown an admirable knack for

making shrewd

appointments, such as

Walters, who had worked

with the South Africa

team that won the 2019

World Cup, and

bringing in Kevin

Sinfield, the former

Great Britain rugby league captain, as

defence coach.

“Kev is very to the point and just

has that aura about him,” Youngs said.

“You either have that

presence or you don’t. He

certainly does, he’s been

a great addition. That

drive to be successful

oozes from him and

that becomes a bit

infectious. It’s

surrounding yourself

with good people.

Eddie [Jones] as well

has always given me

confidence, I’ve always

enjoyed playing under him, he

allows me to go out there and

perform. You add all those bits in and

then you go and run with it yourself.”

All of which is keeping Youngs

humming along nicely, looking likely

to be Jones’ first-choice scrum half for

the remainder of the World Cup

cycle, while the likes of Quirke and

Van Poortvliet jostle for position

behind him. “I absolutely strive to be

a part of 2023,” Youngs said. “I feel I

can be of value and still perform.

That’s a goal of mine.”

Beyond that specific goal, Youngs is

playing his part for the rest of his

family, too. Tom, the Tigers hooker,

has yet to play this season, granted

indefinite leave after his wife, Tiffany,

who had previously suffered from

Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of

cancer, fell seriously ill again.

“It’s been a tough time, it

continues to be a tough

time,” Youngs said. “It’s

challenging, but my job

is to perform and

try to bring some

smiles for 80

minutes at the

weekend. My

responsibility

is to bring

some joy and

I want to do

that. That’s a

pretty easy

motivation for

me.”

DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES

20

Youngs’ international

try record. He has

scored more than any

male scrum half in

England’s history

Borthwick

has overseen

Leicester’s

revival after a

major decline

Northampton pay price for sloppy start

hopeful cross-field kick to allow Craig

Gilroy to steal in and score.

Mitchell and Courtnall Skosan

belatedly went over to at least earn the

away team a losing bonus point from a

game they never looked like winning.

“The pivot point was the penalty try

and the yellow card,” Boyd said. “Ulster

scored their next try with a chip [into

space] that the half back would normal-

ly be in.”

Boyd will relish a return to domestic

matters as his side now prepare to face

Harlequins two days after Christmas.

Boyd was robbed of the services of

the Wales fly half Dan Biggar through

injury, but was able to make six changes

and field a stronger team than the one

hammered 45-14 by Racing a week ago.

But even with the likes of Courtney

Lawes back in harness, Northampton

were kept at arm’s length, and not

helped by an awful start during which

Rob Herring crossed for Ulster’s first try

before three minutes had elapsed.

Northampton’s cause was hampered

further by a yellow card shown to Alex

Mitchell for slapping down a pass that

was also censured with the awarding of

a penalty try.

While the try of the game was scored

by Ulster’s Ethan McIlroy, the kicking

of George Furbank at least kept North-

ampton in it at half-time. The No 10’s

four successful shots at goal coupled

with some errors in attack from Ulster

left things poised 19-12 at the turn.

By the hour mark, however, the game

was over as a contest and Ulster had

their bonus point wrapped up.

The loss of Stuart McCloskey to

injury had seemed to rob Ulster of some

of their thrust in attack but they were

gifted a try when the Samoan full back

Ahsee Tuala horribly misjudged a

Ulster
27

Northampton Saints

Heineken Champions Cup
George Kane

22

ULSTER

M Lowry; C Gilroy, J Hume, S McCloskey (S Moore

18), E McIlroy; B Burns, J Cooney; A Warwick

(J McGrath 60), R Herring (J Andrew 54),

M Moore (T O’Toole 56); A O’Connor (S Carter

65), I Henderson (K Treadwell 47); M Rea

(G Jones 72), N Timoney, D Vermeulen.

Scorers: Tries Herring (1), penalty try (15), McIlroy

(19), Gilroy (57). Cons Cooney 2. Pen Cooney (54).

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

A Tuala (R Hutchinson 58); O Sleightholme,

M Proctor, F Dingwall, C Skosan; G Furbank,

A Mitchell; A Waller (E Iyogun 51), M Haywood

(J Fish 51), E Painter (C Carey 51); D Ribbans,

A Ratuniyarawa (A Coles 55); C Lawes, L Ludlam,

T Wood (J Agustus 54).

Scorers: Tries Mitchell (61) Skosan (78).

Pens Furbank 4 (6, 18, 22, 29).

Referee A Piardi (It)