Danny Cipriani - back on the right tracks?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/club-rugby/danny-cipriani-takes-new-outlook-on-life-following-controversial-year-8626615.html

Interesting to read this interview with Danny Cipriani. He's obviously a talent but for the last 5 years or so it's looked like that talent could be wasted. It's fine saying these things now, but it will be interesting to see if there is any improvement in his game next season.

Cipriani has so much more natural ability than Stephen Myler, our newly called-up 10, but his form definitely doesn't deserve a call-up. If Cipriani does knuckle down and get back to his best, however, Cipriani could find himself back in England contention in the lead up to the home World Cup in 2015.

Cipriani + Lancaster camp does not compute

Lancaster's not camp.



Cipriani was the most gifted 10 England have had in my lifetime. But a bad leg break, being brought back into the England team too soon and a love of the limelight, has seen him lose out.

I think he has his head screwed on now, but I can't see him featuring while SL* is in charge.

*RobotsRus and make sure you are 'on message' and fully conversant in 'positive message'.

That shoite won't win us important matches. Playing the best players in their best positions might give us a chance.

I personally dont want him anywhere near the England squad.

We should be able to find a quality 10 from Farrell, Burns, Slade, Flood, Joel Hodgson, Ford, etc etc....that dont have to bring that utter waste of space back into the squad..

PS As beefy Says...he's not the type of player Lancs would have in the squad anyway...well with the exception of Calum Clark.

He's still only 25, and still has good pace and plenty talent. I think he should forget England for now. In that regard his talking has to be on the pitch, a newspaper interview changes nothing.

Delon Armitage had an interview in the Sunday Times a few weeks back, saying how he's grown up since moving to Toulon. Well that new leaf lasted less than a month.

He needs to continue playing for Sale at 10, have a strong season and build from there. If Diamond can sort out the Sale pack and give Cipriani a platform, then I still believe he's good enough for international rugby. He needs to prove himself consistently though, and stay out of trouble. I don't mean for weeks or months, I mean for a couple of years. When he does that, and his form is so compelling that even the Welsh fans have to concede he's a decent player, only then should Lancaster (or whoever is coaching England by then) consider calling him up. His baggage means he has more to prove than others. Harsh but fair.

It's been five years, two leg breaks, three clubs and a bus collision since he showed his best form, so I don't think we should hold our collective breath. If he's actually got his head together then that's only a good thing, but for the moment I'm far too busy building up Burns and Twelvetrees to knock them down later to worry about Cipriani.

I really do hope he sorts himself out but he is good at saying the right thing then doing the wrong thing.

Did Cipriani not do this exact same interview a year ago?

And 18 months before that when he joined the Rebels?

Exactly my point - the words are meaningless. You can only judge rugby players by their rugby and the manner with which they conduct themselves off the pitch - in other words actions.

In fact I question whether he should have been doing the interview in the first place. Next time he makes the papers, it needs to be a positive report regarding his performances on the pitch, not a scandal or self-promoting interview.

A few less words Mr Cipriani....and a little more action. When it comes to show and tell, only the show matters. Let your actions do the showing and time the telling.

I will believe it when I see it.
Get your head right - run the ball a little more and kick less.
Remember the player you were before your injury - that is all.

propdavid_london wrote:I will believe it when I see it.
Get your head right - run the ball a little more and kick less.
Remember the player you were before your injury - that is all.

and read up on ur green cross code

It's all a load of hot air until he proves it with his play on the field.

jimmyinthewell68 wrote: and read up on ur green cross code

Green cross code? ..........I'm old enough to remember my Tufty's Kerb Drill

I'll believe it when I see it too. The long and the short of it is that he has spent longer out of form than he ever has in form. Despite his woeful tackling I feel he should spend a couple of seasons back at full back. He will lose the pressure of trying to run/force a game, yet can still act as a 2nd receiver and play maker and he might actually be able to build a run of performances. Regardless of SL, he is a long way off making back into the England set up. I would suggest England were more likely to ask Hodgson or Wilkinson to come out of retirement than ask Cipriani back into the fold. At present he is simply just not good enough to be anywhere near that squad. His sole focus should be on finding form at club level, but somehow I think we'll see him in the gossip pages more than the back pages...

HKC,

Full Backs nowadays seem to be required to make much fewer tackles than in days of yore. Catching kicks seems to be their main defensive duty now. So Ciprianis tackling weakness would be less of an issue at FB.

(Mike Brown 36 in 16 matches, rob Cook 39 in 19, Alex Goode 18 in 11, Matt Tait 22 in 13 for example)

Mind you, FB tackles tend to be try saving tackles when made.

LondonTiger wrote:Mind you, FB tackles tend to be try saving tackles when made.

Absolutely, they really get noticed at FB. Wasn't there talk a season or two agio about him going to Tigers as a FB?

He's not going to do an interview and claim he's been brilliant for the last few years and say he's going to carry on being a bell end is he?

If he gets back on track, on the pitch not in interviews, then he could be brilliant but if not then it's a massive waste of talent.

Cipriani is being kept out of the Sale side by Nick McLeod......................................................................................................................................

I rest my case!

HongKongCherry wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:Mind you, FB tackles tend to be try saving tackles when made.

Absolutely, they really get noticed at FB. Wasn't there talk a season or two agio about him going to Tigers as a FB?

I believe such an offer was made to him last Summer, which he declined.