Jeremy Guscott: Danny Cipriani’s back as he decides to return to Planet Earth
I remember reading about how he wanted to sit down and talk to the England management at the time to understand what more he needed to do to get in the England squad for the 2011 RWC. Quite simply all he had to do was play as brilliantly as he had done in the past and yes, improve his tackling, and that would have been a big part of the ticket into the mix. The fact he didn’t realise that at the time showed how far off track his ego had taken him, it showed he wasn’t getting the best advice or he wasn’t listening to the best advice.
Cipriani has turned to Steve Black, who in rugby circles is known best for his work with Jonny Wilkinson. He’s been alongside him or near to a phone for a great number of years and is still working his magic with the legend.
It’s a big step for Cipriani to admit at long last he doesn’t know it all and needs some guidance not so much on the field but off it. At 26 years of age it’s come a tad late but it’s coming, he could so easily have continued along the road of wasted talent.
The rugby world will be a better place for this big turnaround. Of course there will be doubts in people’s minds about whether he can keep up the good work and to that end he’s shown that missing maturity and gone down the mentor route which he avoided for many years believing he knew what was best for Brand Cipriani.
He’s still a way off getting back into the England set-up partly because of the agreements in place between the clubs and RFU and Stuart Lancaster’s inability to pick players outside the elite playing squad apart from injury replacements.
I believe Lancaster probably sees the England 10 pecking order as first choice Owen Farrell, second Toby Flood then it gets very interesting with Freddie Burns, George Ford and Stephen Myler vying for that third spot.
With speculation rife that Toby Flood is set to join Toulouse in January, I think Lancaster must be bold and omit him from the Six Nations squad. What good is it to have a player on the bench who will not be available for World Cup selection?
Flood’s demotion from the England 10 shirt since the arrival of Farrell makes you question why Lancaster has not been in Flood’s ear telling him he is firmly in his RWC plans and that he should stay in England until the end of next season.
Flood has been the most consistent 10 in the Aviva Premiership so far this campaign; he is a commanding general who has spearheaded the Tigers‘ charge to three Premiership titles. But it seems there is a disconnect between the 28-year-old and the England coaches.
Burns’ form has run off into the Bermuda triangle this season with the contract wranglings seemingly distracting his focus. The sooner he signs for a team the better he will be and his form should return. How far he’s fallen is quite scary, last season he was making breaks, setting up tries kicking 80 per cent of his goals. His form was so good that he couldn’t be ignored – at the moment his form is that bad he has to be overlooked.
George Ford is playing decent rugby; he’s only 20 years old but looks so comfortable in games – most of the time. His rugby skill set and understanding of how to play the game allows him to be very competitive, he reads the game well so invariably makes the right decision. Currently there are a couple of weaknesses that stand out, he turns the ball over a lot which is a big no-no at the highest level. His current kicking stats aren’t good enough and you wouldn’t take Owen Farrell out if the replacement isn’t at least his equal in the kicking stakes. At only 20 Ford will be getting better with every game he plays and if his current rate of progression continues he will eventually play for his country.
Myler has been as steady as a rock, now he’s undisputed No.1 at Saints he’s been doing the business very consistently. He doesn’t usually set the world on fire but he kicks his goals, directs the Saints team well, and is a decent all rounder. He’s not the most potent attacker when it comes to making clean breaks or beating defenders, but he’s there to make the try-scoring pass or assist, which is a great asset to have.
So looking at the competition that Cipriani has if he recaptures the form that got him his first England cap and has reconnected with Planet Earth not Brand Cipriani then he has an England future for sure.
He has been playing pretty average by his own standards this season and if he could recapture 85 per cent of the player he was in 2008 Lancaster’s hand may be forced. The tour to New Zealand next summer may come too soon for Cipriani, but there is a lot of rugby to be played before then and Flood’s likely departure to France could open the door.
Cipriani still has a long way to go to fulfil his vast potential but the world seems a better place when players such as Cipriani or Quade Cooper are on song.
A fit and firing Cipriani could change the dynamic of England’s back play, offering a genuine running threat that would benefit the guys outside him. If he continues to lead the Sale revival by playing brave, mature rugby, he will be hard to ignore. The caveat is whether he is a good enough person to connect with this new squad’s ethos. And hopefully his decision to seek out Steve Black shows he is.
