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Cipriani: 'With my non-selection by England, people want to find a reason why'
By Online Editors
Danny Cipriani insists he is cut from the same cloth as Owen Farrell as the contenders for the role of England’s playmaker-in-chief prepare to renew their rivalry.
Cipriani's Gloucester team lost at Allianz Park on Saturday against European champions Saracens, who progressed to the Gallagher Premiership final at Twickenham.
Farrell is England’s first choice fly-half but Cipriani’s outstanding form at Kingsholm has been recognised with two coveted individual awards, renewing calls for Eddie Jones to explain why he is repeatedly overlooked.
“People make a thing about the characters of me and Owen, but I get on really well with him. A lot of sportsman have very similar DNA,” Cipriani said.
“With my non-selection by England, people want to find a reason why, but in that moment it might not be what the coach feels. You have to accept that.
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“It is down to you to do everything you can to get picked. Over the last five or six years nothing has stopped me from ascending that way.
“Owen’s a very diligent athlete in the way he looks at things and drives things. He is meticulous.
“He’s unbelievably competitive. He’s extremely talented. The timing of his pass and the way he runs a team. And can see the aura he has.
“Players buy into that. There are loads of different ways of leading and you can see that. He does it unbelievably effectively.
“You learn from all the people around you. There are lots of different types of characters in my life and you can learn from all of them.”
Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann entrusted Cipriani with running the attack and the club have benefited as a result.
It was a level of responsibility the 31-year-old half-back had to seize for himself during a two-year spell at Wasps that ended last summer.
“A lot of fly-halves want to run attacks and run shapes. Before I went to Wasps, that’s what (director of rugby) Dai Young said he wanted me to do,” Cipriani said.
“I went there and did it and it probably wasn’t necessarily exactly the way he wanted it, but I did it anyway!
“I felt it was the best thing for the club and the players – and we had a successful two years.
“I had a great chat with Dai recently and he texted me, ‘thank you and congratulations for winning the award the other week’.
“It doesn’t mean there’s a conflict between us, we both learn from that and we spoke about it.”
PA
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Latest Comments
That is a matter of players style of play. Will Jordan's strength is his running . He has been absolutely deadly for the the Crusaders in that position. Especially in years 2021-23. Foster subsequently then Razor put him on the wing. Scored heaps of tries, but as he showed in one test against Australia this year , he scored a try running from the back, that was amazing. That was after Robertson finally put him at 15 because Beauden was injured. Thankfully there Will remained. Speaking of Beauden and kicking. He kicks too much, waywardly as well. Handing the ball back to the opposition. He is an impact player at best.
Go to commentsYet Ethan Blackadder was one of our best against the World Champion Springbok. When he came back to the Crusaders later in the season , he made a huge difference, ( a long with others like Codie Taylor), we nearly made the Play Off's. Ethan has plenty of rugby left in him. His family , Dad Todd Blackadder must be very [proud of him. Todd Blackadder was a 3 time champion captain of the Crusaders, '98, '99 and 2000.An icon in this area. Also twice captain of Canterbury , '97 and 2001 when we won the NPC and Ranfurly Shield winning captain in 2000.
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