Cipriani salutes his pack
England fly-half Danny Cipriani paid tribute to his forwards after marking his full England debut with an outstanding performance in a 33-10 victory over Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.
England fly-half Danny Cipriani paid tribute to his forwards after marking his full England debut with an outstanding performance in a 33-10 victory over Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.
Cipriani, who took over the kicking duties from England's axed World Cup-winner Jonny Wilkinson, kicked seven place-kicks from seven attempts – accounting for 18 of England's points – but blotted his copybook afterwards by swearing on live television in his after-match interview.
“It's the f*****g one to eight who deserve the man of the match award,” he said, before realising his mistake.
“Oh no. I can't believe I've just sworn on live television – I'm so sorry!”
But his red face will be short-lived – this was a day he will look back to with pride.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said.
“It may have been my first game, but I have played it in my head a million times.”
Cipriani was delighted with a victory which followed the controversial half-back's dropping from the initial match-day squad for last week's Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield, after being spotted leaving a London night-club in the early hours two days beforehand.
Despite his own significant contribution, Cipriani was determined the England forwards should receive due credit.
“When they play like that it is easy for the number ten,” he pointed out.
“I thought our forwards were absolutely outstanding.”
Cipriani also spared a thought for coach Brian Ashton, who has taken much of the flak for England's mediocre Six Nations campaign – not least when he decided to drop his protege against Scotland.
“I think we owed part of it [the win] to Brian, because sometimes we have not performed as well as we should have,” he said.
Ashton, for his part, wanted the spotlight put on his entire team rather than just the new star.
“That was a team performance, not a one-man band – and one of the best team performances I've seen in a long time,” he said.
“Danny did really well, though. You're not sure until they come out whether players can bring Premiership form into internationals, but for most of the game he did.
“He will be very pleased – and we are reasonably pleased as well! – but the guys around him helped enormously, so let's not go overboard.”
Cipriani replaced Jonny Wilkinson, who came on in the second half not for the 20-year-old but for Toby Flood in the centre.
Asked about what happens now for the England stand-off position, Ashton replied: “It will be a royal battle now. There are a number of good number 10s knocking around – and Jonny did well in the centre while he was out there.
“For the first seven minutes, we didn't feel we had worked Ireland out. We had a fairly short week in training – but we were fairly specific on what he worked on.
“We thought we could pose them problems and for most of the game we did, with the ball and without the ball.”
On the subject of the championship – three wins and those two defeats – Ashton added: “It was a missed opportunity – big time”.
But when it was put to him that the weight must now be lifted from his shoulders he was quick to respond: “You must be joking.
“Winning one game does not mean any less pressure.
“The pressure just comes with the job. You can't hide away – the press is there every single game. But this solidifies one or two selections, and it was a nice way to finish the tournament.
“We haven't got the players for about two months now. I hope they go back to their clubs, play really well and – most important of all – stay injury-free.”
England tour New Zealand in June.
“We put into operation all the things we said we were going to, and that's the first time in the tournament we've managed that,” he added.
“Our performance was a massive improvement on anything else we have done in the Six Nations.
“It looks as though the players need a defeat to get them going. That's the biggest thing we have got to turn round.”
Wilkinson was the only man dropped after Murrayfield, and Ashton said: “Jonny handled it in a very professional manner. We go away and reflect now.
“Of course I have sympathy for Eddie [under-fire Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan]. I have massive respect for every international coach and don't like it when they are getting stick.”