New-style Danny Cipriani in frame for England
Cipriani has steered the Sale Sharks into next season’s European Champions Cup with a string of assured and increasingly mature performances.
And with appearances in the Premiership final possibly ruling out Owen Farrell and George Ford from the start of England’s tour to New Zealand, the 26-year-old has put himself in the frame to earn a Test recall.
While Cipriani’s individual brilliance is undeniably still there, the sleight of hand and moments of magic synonymous with his early Wasps days only occasionally come out from under the cloak of consistency and conservatism he dons at Sale.
“It was different at Wasps. I was in a team with an international in every position so I didn’t so much have to lead the team as just be another strike runner. In the backs we had myself, Riki Flutey, Dom Waldouck, Paul Sackey, Josh Lewsey…we could all break the line,” he told TRP.
“Whereas now, at Sale, I’ve fitted into a role of trying to lead the team around the field, which means there’s not been as much chance for me to run myself. Hopefully that will come at some point.
“I haven’t curbed my natural instincts, it’s just that when you’re trying to lead a team, especially one that this year was still fairly new together, you have to adopt a slightly more conservative approach.
“As the year’s gone on I’ve tried to play a bit more like myself and in recent weeks we’ve scored a lot of tries and things like that.
“There are times when you play through the team pattern and other times when you try and do a bit. I’m feeling comfortable in every game and I’ve enjoyed this season a lot.”
Now very much the team player, on and off the field, Cipriani – “a top lad”, according to Sale boss Steve Diamond – hopes to have pocketed a trip to New Zealand to go alongside his March Premiership Player of the Month award.
“It’s been a while since I played for England and to play for your country is the reason we all play the sport – it’s the ultimate,” said Cipriani.
“It would mean an awful lot to me and make my family and the people around me proud and it’s something I want to do.
“It’s probably the best season I’ve had. I’ve tried to show the bits I can do and also been part of the team and by helping the guys around me here at Sale it’s also helped me as well.
“When I broke my ankle with Wasps in 2008, I was due to be going on tour to New Zealand and I missed out because of the injury.
“So it would be great to make it there this time. I’ve played in Australia and I know a fair few of the New Zealand squad and perhaps it isn’t as daunting playing the All Blacks as it used to be in terms of knowing the players.
“But they are still the world champions and they are a team that people look up to but I think England have a squad and coaching staff to go and compete with them.
“I’ve known Stuart Lancaster for a while and he knows me personally and what I’m like so, for me, the key has been, like it is with any other player, to try to play well consistently, week-in, week-out and showing that I’ve improved in all the areas they want me to improve on.”
One former All Black he has got to know very well in the last 15 months is Sale skipper Dan Braid, who he puts on a par with Lawrence Dallaglio as the best captain he has played under.
“Lawrence brought this sort of fire to the changing room whilst being calm at the same time. I don’t know if he read a load of books but the speeches he’d give before a game would all be different and very good.
“He knows how to pull on everyone’s emotions. Never once did you wish he’d shut up,” Cipriani said.
“Like Lawrence, Dan leads by example and he also brings a lot in terms of his knowledge and the experience he has of the game.
“He is like another coach in the way he reads the game and dictates how we play.
“I speak to him for hours on end about rugby and I watch a lot too – Union and League. I’m not as big a nause as he is; I try to be a bit cooler about it. I remember Paul Sackey never used to watch any rugby, he was too busy dealing cars and scoring tries so he was all right!”
JON NEWCOMBE
