Sale Sharks fly-half Danny Cipriani admits that it is still his dream to play for England, but his focus is on surviving relegation.
Sale currently sit five points clear of safety at the bottom of the Aviva Premiership table, despite a summer of high-profile recruits that included Cipriani's return from Australia after a stint with the Melbourne Rebels.
Last capped by England back in 2008, the 25-year old has endured a rollercoaster season with the Sharks - criticised by owner Brian Kennedy and temporary head coach John Mitchell earlier in the season, along with showing flashes of talent.
"I spoke to Stuart recently and he's given me some encouragement," said Cipriani to The Rugby Paper.
"I'm still in their thoughts, just like everyone else, and he's told me to keep working hard and show what I can do.
"It's still my dream to play for England. I came back from Australia to fulfil that ambition.
"I'm trying to keep my head down, work hard and we'll see what happens. But it all depends on how I play for Sale and that's my focus. We're at the wrong end of the table and the main thing is get clear."
Having won their last three matches, Cipriani believes Sale are beginning to turn the corner, with a must-win visit to London Welsh this weekend looming on the horizon.
"We've become a lot more consistent since Christmas and Steve Diamond deserves a lot of credit for that," added Cipriani.
"He's passionate about Sale, passionate about forward play and he's sorting that side of things out.
"You saw that at Wasps, where the forwards got us on to the front foot and I was able to play my natural game. I'm working hard to improve the defensive aspects but any fly-half needs good forwards in front of him.
"It wasn't a particularly great time when John was here. We didn't know whether he was staying or going and that creates uncertainty and it's good we now know where we stand with Dimes (Diamond) for the rest of the year.
"Steve has worked hard on that and bringing in Dan Braid has been a masterstroke. He's a world-class player who's got vast experience in Super XV and he's a great communicator, giving advice to the forwards and all of us around him.
"He could be one of the signings of the season and we're starting to get some structure in our game."
Comments
ArmchairGeneral says...
My guess Cipi got his call mid last week. When Flood and Burns were possibly not going to be available and Fodens not quite readiness meant Goode was not free to cover 10 either. One injury in training to Farrell and Cipi could have been training with the squad and all posters in this thread would probably be eating their words. Keep at it Cipi because Ford has not stepped up enough yet in his Saxons shirt. But you've broken your code of silence. You were creeping up on the Saxons but comments like this set you back.
Posted 11:59 23rd February 2013
5Lock4ward says...
@kybone, That last part of that sounded a bit sarcastic but I'll take it at face value. Mr. Brown might be high profile where you live but where I live I have to catch the previous weeks' matches online as rugby gets zero tv or print media coverage. As I mentioned I believe I misheard an announcer who was speaking about him. Perhaps he said something to the effect that he is built like a scrum half. Anyhow I don't get on here seeking mean-spirited conversations. I get enough of that at my job. Nice chatting. Enjoy the w/e's 6N matches.
Posted 23:32 19th February 2013
PatrickH says...
@ Colvin..
That's the best idea I've ever heard!
Posted 18:37 18th February 2013
kybone says...
5Lock4ward-'And please don't twist that around and make it sound like I'm suggesting he'll be on this upcoming tour.'- I wasn't planning on twisting anything around. I agree that Cipriani is a good few rows back in terms of England selection and is therefore probably not even on the rador in terms of the Lions, except maybe as a wild 1,000-1 outside bet. Im sorry if i came across as having a go. Its just that i've seen you comment on here on a regular basis and naturally assumed that you were knowledgable enough about the game to know what position a high profile player like Mike Brown plays in. Apologies.
Posted 15:20 16th February 2013
5Lock4ward says...
@kybone, As I said I could be wrong about that. I may have only been half listening and misheard an announcer speaking about him during the Autumn Tour matches. We agree that he's not first in line for any of the positions on the pitch but I'll stick to my theory that his non-inclusion is partially punitive and heavily based on his reputation off the pitch and what the RFU must assume was his 'tantrum' in leaving the Premiership for Super Rugby. Remember that his name was still being thrown about as a possible call-up during the last Lions tour. And please don't twist that around and make it sound like I'm suggesting he'll be on this upcoming tour.
Posted 14:21 16th February 2013
colvin says...
Well, the other flyhalf who went missing on defense was Quade Cooper. To toughen up Quade became a professional boxer and in his first professional fight KO'd his opponent in the first round. We all assume he's now tough enough to tackle.
Maybe Danny needs to follow suit. Maybe a professional bout between Danny and Quade.
Posted 07:59 16th February 2013
JamieTheProp says...
Joker - end of story!
Posted 20:43 15th February 2013
APV1 says...
@ rugby_rockstar - I give you Mike "I really wanted to be a flanker, but only managed to be a w anker" Phillips.
Posted 16:24 15th February 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
APV1,
I want a scrummaging No.9.
Not that they'd last even one scrum, but man, What a LAUGH!!!!!!
Posted 14:40 15th February 2013
kybone says...
5Lock4ward- Brown a Scrum-half?? Not sure how you come to that one. He's a Full-back that can play wing if needed. With the likes of Foden, Abendanon, Armitage, and Arscott not currently in the England squad, i think Cipriani has as much chance of getting in at full-back as he does at fly-half. You never like to say never, but Cipriani has spent too long messing around instead of concentrating on improving his game. It's quite comforting, i suppose, to know that we can go all the way to our 5th or 6th choice fly half and come up with someone like Cipriani, but ,for now, thats all he is.
Posted 10:08 15th February 2013
three6three6 says...
What did Danny C learn from Super Rugby? He was a disaster in Super Rugby.... no real consistency, waving on the opposition through the no. 10 channel and upsetting employers and tem mates with prima donna behaviour.
Danny C is very talented with ball in hand.... but his other skills let him down. He is unlikely to appear at full international level again.
Posted 03:51 15th February 2013
5Lock4ward says...
@lawynd, It's not that he's better than those players per se. But I'm under the impression (and I could be wrong) that Brown is a scrum-half by nature already playing out of position (on the wing) and Foden has fallen out of favor to Goode's benefit. I meant only to imply that his only chance of breaking back into the England squad doesn't have to be tied to the 10 shirt. If his defense is so weak and he is an offensive minded player he could come on in the wing position. Again I recognize there are better players in front of him. I just think that England are so bent on him not becoming their Gavin Henson that they've shunned him as demonstrated by his non-inclusion w/ the Saxons. At the end of the day I feel he should have returned to Wasps (like Haskell did) in his efforts to make things right w/ the RFU.
Posted 01:48 15th February 2013
Nastyned says...
Self awareness isn't his greatest strength is it. It now joins tackling and maturity on his blindspots.
Posted 18:03 14th February 2013
APV1 says...
@ Frooschman - I want a tackling 10, in the same way as I want a scavenging prop and a rucking outside centre. It's not that it needs to be their greatest asset or strength, but I do need them to be able to do it at least as well as most others on the team.
I appreciate that we need specialists (I've been advocating having Brown at 15 for that exact reason), but a player who is weak in defence is too much of a liability.
Wilkinson set new standards and most 10s will never be 1/2 as good. But they should all be defensively sound.
I don't want to see the 10 packing down at 8 and the 8 covering the 10 channel, like they used to do at... Irish? Saints? Somewhere where the 10 (was it Lamb?) wasn't very good in defence.
@ ironmanI441 - you make some good points. As a back-row forward, I was always taught that tackling was about 2 things:
1 - Technique - get that right and it will work (most of the time)
and
2 - Guts - you need to have the cajones to stick "your body on the line".
Does Cips have the technique or the balls? I'm not so sure on either count.
Posted 17:35 14th February 2013
ironmanI441 says...
It's not that anyone wants a specialty "tackling 10" it is more a case of if you are at least an average tackler then you are less likely to be targeted. Also, there are questions of if Cipriani "needed" to make a tackle on a rampaging forward could he? I know Carter and Sexton probably don't lay big men low on a regular basis but I think if it came to it they could do the job. I wouldn't be so sure Cipriani would be up to the job.
Posted 15:13 14th February 2013
Frooschman says...
It's tragic really. After that immense performance against Ireland everyone was expecting DC to be the England fly-half for the foreseeable. In my eyes he never really recovered (mentally) from that dreadful ankle break. A lot of what ifs but he must wonder where it all went wrong!
And why does everyone always bang on about his tackling? I know, I know, it's because he can't, won't and doesn't! But why on earth would you want a tackling fly half?! Just because Wilkinson did it (and paid the injury price!) doesn't mean it's a good idea. I agree he should be better at it than he is but I'd love to see the stats of how many tackles Carter makes in an average game!
Posted 14:09 14th February 2013
lawynd says...
Do you think he's a better fullback than Brown, Foden or Goode, 5Lock4ward?
Posted 13:48 14th February 2013
5Lock4ward says...
He could get in at fullback. They're pretty set at flyhalf with Farrell.
Posted 12:13 14th February 2013
lawynd says...
He's got zero chance at all; Flood is still a better choice than Cipriani and Farrell, Burns and soon to be Ford are all ahead of him. Hell, I'd probably take Stephen Myler ahead of Cips, at least he can control a game and kick his goals.
Posted 10:32 14th February 2013
IronManI441 says...
He is talented, has an eye for the gap, and is pretty handy with his kicks from hand but... he can't tackle (is getting better but never going to be a natural) and his kicking from the tee is average.
However he is now older than either Burns or Farrell, not to mention Ford who let us not forget was voted the best player under 20 in the world for 2011, when he was 18 I believe.
Bottom line is that England has a great set of young 10's already and if we want a pure kicker/game manager then Cipriani isn't that mold and Farrell has nailed that spot down. If we want to go with a dynamic 10 then its Burns or Ford. Cipriani needs to play out of his skin for over a year and then maybe he would make the Saxons or the extended squad for a tournament.
Would have been interested to see what would have happened if he had simply behaved himself and locked down the 10 spot since 2008 as a 20 year old. He might be world class by now, but we will never know.
Posted 10:29 14th February 2013