Youngs, 27, will stay at home in Norfolk in order to support his wife Tiffany while she has treatment for illness, instead of joining the squad of 42 England coach Stuart Lancaster intends taking to cover the three matches against the All Blacks and one against Canterbury.
“These things are more important than rugby,” said Youngs’ Leicester coach Richard Cockerill. Lancaster added: “It is entirely right that he stays at home.”
None of Lancaster’s three senior hookers are available to him, though he expects Dylan Hartley to have recovered from his shoulder injury before season’s end. Bath coach Mike Ford expects Rob Webber to miss the tour.
Even assuming Hartley, who kept Youngs on the bench through the Six Nations, is fit, he will miss the first Test in Auckland on June 7 if Northampton reach the Premiership final at Twickenham a week earlier.
For that game at least, that will leave Lancaster looking at the hookers who have represented the second-string Saxons this season, Jamie George and Dave Ward. The latter has been in exceptional form for Harlequins.
Article source: http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/latest/scotsman-rugby-show-scotland-v-south-africa-1-3189342
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Tom Youngs out of England"s tour of New Zealand
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