Dangerous Danny Cipriani should be a definite says Olly Barkley

Danny Cipriani can be England’s “wild card” selection this autumn, according to London Welsh ace Olly Barkley, who believes the one-time party boy is back to his best and looks the most dangerous of the main fly-half contenders.
Barkley knows Owen Farrell is in pole position to start against New Zealand this November, while he is a big fan of Bath’s George Ford.
But he reckons Sale star Cipriani can trump the lot by stringing together some high class performances at the start of the new season.
Running the rule over England’s playmakers, Barkley told The Rugby Paper: “I’d say you’ve got four or five genuine contenders now, with a few front-runners.
“Owen Farrell‘s always going to be there because of his ability to stay calm and kick points, and then you’ve got the other two in George Ford and Freddie Burns who are a bit more maverick.
“Freddie didn’t have the best of seasons last year but he showed massive mental resolve to play the way he did in New Zealand in June, so he’s in with a shout.
“And George is a very interesting one for me – super talented and is probably the most exciting. I’m still a Bath boy and love watching him play.
“But the other really interesting one is Cips, who in my opinion is probably the most dangerous out of all the current fly-halves in England.
“If he can keep showing he can control a game as well as others and can kick his goals, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be the guy this year.”
Of Cipriani, Barkley explains: “He looks a different player at the moment than he has done in the past and he’ll be the wild card this year.
“If he’s controlling games and doing two or three special things, as opposed to trying seven or eight things with only one coming off, he’s a definite.
“I’ve got a lot of time for Cips, he’s a really top, top player and he’s shown a lot of maturity to come through a pretty crap time in his life.
“He’s had a lot of stick from various people but he’s come out the other side and he’s a much better player and person because of it.
“I’m all for guys like that succeeding. He’s got something to prove and he’s proving it, so there’s no reason why he can’t push on now.”
Whilst Barkley is tipping Cipriani to feature this autumn, he believes former Gloucester man Burns could benefit from his move to Leicester.
He said: “If any club can have a decent effect on someone like Freddie, it’s Leicester Tigers.
“He’ll either come out of it all guns blazing or it will be a tough time for him, but I hope it’s the former and he comes out a better player.”
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