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ESPN staff 60d

'Proper dark': Former England star calls for Lions tour to be moved to South Africa

Rugby

Talk about kicking a man while he's down. Former England scrum-half Ben Youngs has savaged the Wallabies following their humiliating, and record-breaking, 67-27 loss to Argentina on the weekend, calling for next year's British & Irish Lions tour be moved.

Speaking on his podcast For the Love of Rugby alongside former England teammate Dane Coles, Youngs didn't hold back when questioning the standard of rugby the Wallabies were producing, claiming the Lions side would "run riot and have it wrapped up after two games with aggregate of 110 points".

"I've been really patient with Australia because I think in Joe Schmidt they have an obviously very, very good coach," Youngs said. "They beat Wales and you're kind of watching them and then they get beaten by South Africa.

"I've been very sort of like, well they're kind of like building towards something and then wah boom, loss like that happens and you're a bit like, you don't get beaten like that in a Test match like that very often, if not never, but to that level, you're thinking, 'What on earth has happened there?'

"But Argentina just blew them away. By the end, Argentina caught a kick-off and ran the length of the field and scored again.

"I'm thinking like, blimey, that's dark, like proper dark, and it's just not good to see for Aussie rugby."

The savaging didn't stop there with the 127 Test veteran going as far as to suggest the Lions touring squad of 2013, which he featured in, would run riot over the current Wallabies side if they were to come out of retirement.

"I'm looking at and thinking the Lions are better off going to South Africa and touring there. Given the last time they went there was no fans allowed.

"I don't know, maybe we'll just do a reunion of 2013 and we'll just go f--king do the business on them - get all the lads out of retirement.

"Just bits to their game which are just so naïve... I'm just looking at some these basic parts of the game and I'm thinking 'What are you doing? It's Test match rugby'.

"I watched that and I just thought, I'm not sure where they're heading and they've got a few more games left, then they're going to come over the Autumn - they could leave that looking pretty bleak and then obviously got a Lions Tour to host."

The halfback suggested the tour next year would be a blowout and said he felt sorry for the players who took part in the 2021 tour through South Africa which was impacted by COVID-19.

"Imagine your first Lions tour is that one in South Africa behind closed doors and all that comes with it, right but that's your first experience for a Lions tour which should be the pinnacle," he said.

"Then your next tour is Australia - great country and all that - but you're d--king every provincial side by 50-60 points. Then you get into the Test matches and you run riot and have got it wrapped up after two games with an aggregate of 110 points.

"I'm just looking at it and with less than a year out and after the game at the weekend - I think Australia are worse than they did in the summer."

Memories are clearly short in the Northern Hemisphere with England suffering their worst Six Nations defeat just a year ago when they were handed a 53-10 hammering by France at Twickenham stadium. Given they managed to turn themselves around for the Rugby World Cup just months later, where they finished third, it's clear much can change in the rugby world in a short time.

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