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Cipriani to Bath looking increasingly likely - reports
By Ian Cameron
Danny Cipriani's rumoured move to Bath is looking increasingly likely, with reports this week suggesting that the flyhalf is in advanced talks to join Stuart Hooper's side.
Neil Fissler in The Rugby Paper reported yesterday that the former England standoff is close to a deal with Bath, a move that was first flagged by John Evely in Somerset Live in February.
Bath's need to find a 10 has been increased following an injury to new flyhalf Tian Schoeman. Schoeman joined from the Cheetahs in December 2020 but has suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Their front line flyhalf, Rhys Priestland, has picked up a niggle which forced him out of last weekend's away victory over Newcastle, forcing them to promote centre Max Clark to the bench and Schoeman into the starting team. The Welshman, who is set to leave Bath at the end of the season to return to Wales with Cardiff Rugby, could be available this weekend.
Bath have Fijian centre Josh Matavesi, who is also adept at 10 and has been in fine form for the West Country side since signing in 2019, and 21-year-old Tom de Glanville, although he apparently considered more a fullback than a flyhalf by Hooper.
With Cipriani having left Gloucester mid-season, he is effectively a free agent and in the position to feature at The Rec on short notice.
Cipriani and Gloucester said that his sudden exit had come by mutual consent, but there were rumours of no-shows at training and that the mercurial playmaker was no longer happy at the club.
“I have mixed emotions about it," said Cipriani. “I am sad to leave a great club, but I’m excited for the challenges I have ahead.
“I am so proud of what we have built together, and I have enjoyed working with everyone.”
Bath have typically been a team that has played with big-name signings at 10, and the gun-slinging, all-action game of Cipriani could provide a welcome boost to a side that has struggled for form this season. Bath currently sit in 9th place on the Gallagher Premiership table.
The 33-year-old has been linked with a number of clubs in France, Japan and the US, but Bath would provide the former England star with two things - top-class Premiership rugby; all conveniently on his doorstep.
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Stephen Larkham, Mick Byrne, Scott Wisental, Ben Mowen, Les Kiss, Jim McKay, Rod Kafer.
There are plenty of great Australian coaches who could do a better job than Schmidt.
Go to commentsThis piece is nothing more than the result of revisionist fancy of Northern Hemisphere rugby fans. Seeing what they want to see, helped but some surprisingly good results and a desire to get excited about doing something well.
I went back through the 6N highlights and sure enough in every English win I remembered seeing these exact holes on the inside, that are supposedly the fallout out of a Felix Jones system breaking down in the hands of some replacement. Every time the commentators mentioned England being targeted up the seam/around the ruck or whatever. Each game had a try scored on the inside of the blitz, no doubt it was a theme throughout all of their games. Will Jordan specifically says that Holland had design that move to target space he saw during their home series win.
Well I'm here to tell you they were the same holes in a Felix Jones system being built as well. This woe is now sentiment has got to stop. The game is on a high, these games have been fantastic! It is Englands attack that has seen their stocks increase this year, and no doubt that is what SB told him was the teams priority. Or it's simply science, with Englands elite players having worked towards a new player welfare and management system, as part of new partnership with the ERU, that's dictating what the players can and can't put their bodies through.
The only bit of truth in this article is that Felix is not there to work on fixing his defence. England threw away another good chance of winning in the weekend when they froze all enterprise under pressure when no longer playing attacking footy for the second half. That mindset helped (or not helped if you like) of course by all this knee jerk, red brained criticism.
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