Danny Cipriani in talks with Sale Sharks

Cipriani, who is about to embark on his second Super 15 season with Australian franchise Melbourne Rebels, is understood to be eager to return to England to further his international career.

The former Wasps player was constantly overlooked by former England manager Martin Johnson, but with a new coach to be appointed, Cipriani is thought to believe the time is right for a return home. Representatives of the 24 year-old have been in discussions with Sale’s chief executive Steve Diamond, but a deal has not yet be concluded. It is thought that other clubs, including Leicester, Newcastle Falcons and London Irish, and also held talks about signing the fly-half, who won the last of his seven England caps in Nov 2008.

Cipriani, the former Wasps fly-half, had hoped for a fresh start in Australia but his first season in Melbourne was marred by a series of off-field controversies. He was suspended by his own team-mates last May for partying into the early hours following the Super 15 club’s defeat by New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney.

Cipriani had been previously fined by the club in March and warned he would be dropped if he misbehaved again after he took a bottle of vodka from a nightclub in Prahran, Victoria, on Feb 18 without paying for it. He was linked at the end of last season to a short-term deal with French Top 14 side Toulon, during the World Cup in September and October, as cover for Jonny Wilkinson and new signing Matt Giteau, but it did not go ahead.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Wasps have Robinson and Davies on contracts for next season. No need for them to enter the bidding for another 10, what they really need is some front row grunt. Palmer and Haskell will help in the second row and backrow departments but a hooker will also be high on the agenda.

Cumbrian wrote:To my mind, the club that is conspicuous by it's absence in all of these discussions is Wasps. I always assumed that when he came back to England he would link back up with them.

With a positive new owner and returning players like Haskell, Palmer, Cipriani and a fit again Rees you'd think that things wouldn't be such doom and gloom around the club.

thomh wrote:I did find it a bit weird that Haskell and Palmer have signed for Wasps before their Premiership status has been assured. If they want to be playing international rugby next year then playing in the Championship wouldn't do them any favours.

sirtidychris wrote:Its early days but supposedly the Rebels coaching team have been doing alot of defensive work with danny cipriani and watching his first rebels game this season he was awesome in attack and defense.There will always be question marks over his character however and now is the time for him really to mature if he wants to push for england recognition again.

As far as sale sharks and london irish i think both teams would benefit from having such a player however i feel steve diamond and sale would be a better fit and more likely to control the lad with many of cipriani's "friends" aka bad influences based in London. I think London Irish naturally play a more cipriani type game however i believe this is just media speculation as I would be surprised if Mike Catt would let cips come to LI given thier massive bust up.

I heard a lot of talk about his defence being toughened up prior to the BaaBaas game...it was woeful, absolutely abject. As was his overall performance