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There's no getting away from the fact that Cipriani is blessed with a rare talent, he just needs to move from being Carlos Spencer/Freddie Michalak into Dan Carter/Matt Giteau, hopefully a year playing against these guys will aid the transition.

Carlos Spencer & Freddie Michalak are mercurial geniuses. Carter and Giteau are complete rugby players equal in talent and rugby brains.

Cipriani is an arrogant twit who doesn't have the right mentality for rugby.

Poor, poor analogy.

Friends just moved to Oz and there is indeed a problem in their visa system currently, so I'm afraid by implying DC's "failure to turn up" is symptomatic of his unreliability, you are doing just what you accuse other journalists of doing.

I don't think he's as talented as everyone makes out, and especially not as talented as Carlos or Freddie.

He'll never be an established international.

Although I am a massive fan of the Super 15, I am not sure that DC will be all that much better off in terms of experience. For starters, I am pretty certain Mortlock will take all the goal kicking duties and the season is only a few months long.

Personally, I actually think that the French Top 14 would have been a better option for DC. That way, he could have at least kept the door open for a potential England recall.....plus he still would be playing against (for?) World Class superstars (Wilko, Parisse, Medard, Poitrenaud,Lobbe, etc).

The guy is an enigma. He is a talent but I think MJ has done the right thing. Toby Flood is not only more reliable but there is not that much in it in terms of talent (both with ball in hand and from deadball situations).

Like most England fans, I wish Cipriani nothing but the best in Australia, and would love to see him return as the complete fly half and go on to grace the England number 10 shirt for many years.

However, there is an equally likely scenario - one in which he becomes the Stuart Barnes of his generation, squandering his talent and nursing grudges because of an unwillingness to subordinate self to team.

Worse, he could become England's Gavin Henson - a footballer's personality in a gifted rugby player's body.

Rugby Union has a culture of self-effacement, modesty, stoicism and loyal service to club and team, never better embodied than in the great Richard Hill; what we see of Cipriani is diametrically opposed to those core values - courting the limelight and headlines, and leaving Wasps for perceived personal advancement elsewhere, rather than toughing it out and repaying the club's considerable investment in him.

I don't see these core values changing any time soon. Cipriani has showed incredible early promise, but now needs to put in some solid consistent high achievement in Australia. If he can do that in such a tough environment, then we'll start showing him more of the respect he apparently craves.

Danny Cipriani is a very talented player who needs a lot of management. Arrogant - Yes, Self Centred - Yes. I've heard a few stories during his time at Wasps including the fact that he was not interested in meeting his commercial responsibilities with his sponsors effectively acting like a spoilt kid!

But - He is only 22. He does need to grow up and realise that the world doesn't owe him everything.

Holy Hooker - Love the analogy with Gavin Henson - I'm Welsh and agree with you - a footballer in a rugby players body. TRUE in both cases.

I don't think if Cipriani succeeds it will prove Johnson wrong.

Johnson's one mistake regarding Cipriani was bringing him back too early. Toby Flood should have started in the 2008 Autumn Internationals, then maybe we wouldn't have had Andy Goode lurking around the squad as long as he was.

Since then, Cipriani hasn't shown the form or consistency to merit being selected as England's 10.

I hope Cipriani goes away and plays in the 2011 and 2012 Super 15 tournaments, has a storming time down there, then comes back to Europe. He'd be able to play in the 2012/13 season up here, and he could then look at breaking into the England side and getting a Lions call-up. By 2015, he'll only be 27, and he could even make the 2019 World Cup or at a push the 2021 Lions tour.

He's got a lot of time left in his career, so I think it's right move at the right time for Cipriani. If he comes back having had two strong seasons, I think Johnson (if still there) would welcome him back into the International fold.

But right now Cipriani isn't worthy of an EPS place, let alone a place in the starting line-up.

Good player but rugby is a team game sometimes you have to muck in and do the dirty work rather than trying to please the fans and the newspapers all the time.

Wish him well in Aus, but he should have got his head down in England and with Wasps.

Good blog Ben,

With Cipriani you don't know what to think. I've seen him mdazzle on the field and remember watching him and thinking that Jonny will hardly play in a England jersey again. But its seemed to go downhill and he hasn't picked himself back up.

I agree with Johnson on his omission of Cipriani. and I disagree with Cipriani on his move to Australia. I think France would of been his best bet. And despite what he says about the world cup, Cipriani is good enough to get included if his performances are as good as they can be. Johnson is pragmatic, and hasn't got as big of an ego to include Cipriani if his performances merited it.

Despite what you say about footballers, the best (Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta, Rooney etc..) know the best way to success is the team and Cipriani hasn't got it yet. And I think his move is symptomatic of that, Maybe if he sees what Carter et al do on a regular basis it might cick and then we'll see the player he can be.

Martin Johnson's question: "Whose perception is it that he is a unique talent?" is something of a postmodern lie.
Its not a perception at all. Its a fact.
If Jonny Wilkinson was considered something of a boy wonder for arriving in an England shirt so young, then Cipriani is no different, having won a Heineken Cup with Wasps as a teenager (something Wilkinson has never done) and been called into the England team with a much weaker pack than Wilkinson ever had to play behind at a very early age, similar to Wilkinson.
Only unique talents make it to the top level at such a young age.
What has happened since says more about the system than it does about young Cipriani, who has continued to play, at times, with a touch of genius.
The problem is, nowadays, that team building has become so structured and scientific, that unfettered talent and mavericks simply have no place. Even the personality has to be right.
France have managed to integrate incongruous young players like Basteraud and Parra into their side and produce a Grand Slam last year.
Wales too, with Powell and Henson in 2008.
In England we are still waiting. Maybe the absence of Cipriani is one reason why.

His performances have never matched the publicity - you can count on one hand the number of really good games Cipriani has played.At some stage potential has to turn into consistent play on the pitch - maybe we will see this in Melbourne. Teams do have to accommadate individuals, that is what singles out good teams but individuals also have accommadate their team.From a distance it would seem it is always someone else's fault Jonny Wilkinson was imperious (again!) on Saturday I didn't see any Sunday morning headlines saying "Johnson must pick me!"

I think Johnson's challenge is fair: "Who says he's a unique talent?"

There were times in Cipriani's early career when you watched him and thought "no other English fly half could have done that." The harsh reality - whether down to mismanagement, arrogance, injury or whatever - is that it's a long time since we watched Cipriani and got that feeling.

As such, Ben, I question your final point: if Cipriani sets the super 15 alight then it will be in cotnrast to almost all of the rugby he has played in the past 2 years. Johnson's various decisions to omit him from various squads in that time period have been based on the rationality of from, rather than the risk of 'future promise' - which, in my view, cannot be questioned.

What irritates me is that the same Johnson critics who would argue 'form over reputation' to promote their favourite mercurial talents, would also argue for the inclusion of the decidedly off-form Cipriani on some tenuous hope that he will one day prove as influential as he has - very occasionally - promised.

Cipriani's good performances are few and far between. I only get to see Wasps nine or ten times a season these days, but even i can see that for every good game he has, he then follows it up with five or six mediocre ones. That is simply not good enough at club level, let alone international level. And Wasps have given him ample opportunity to show consistency over the years. The coaches simply put him straight back into the team the moment he declared himself fit, often to the detriment to the team. So at club level he is given plenty of chances, at international level he now has none. Both side of the coin, same result, a woefully inconistent player.

As for the perceived attitiude problems, even aside from the likes of Johnson and Carling looking at him in detail and deciding his temperament was not right, you can see if it you go to games. Last April at Twickenham he had a shocking game (oddly the entire press contingent seemed to disagree with everyone at the game, claiming he had been great). He was replaced and within five minutes was laughing and joking with fans and signing autographs, with his back to the game, until one of the coaches pointed out to him that perhaps he'd be best off supporting his team-mates until the game was over. You just think the lad would engage his brain at times, both on and off the pitch, and then maybe he can get somewhere near the promise he showed years ago. And it is years now. I have a feeling he'll go down under and continue to perform to a pretty average standard. Hopefully I'm wrong, but the occasional moment of brilliance does not make up for so much mediocrity. And that is not "the system's" fault. That is his.

I remember fondly the '08 test where he was recalled, a more stupid selection decision is pretty hard to imagine. (As a Bok supporter, I've seen my fair share of stupid selection decisions, but none where someone thought a fly-half would be match sharp for international rugby after 5-month lay-off) With this decision alone, I find it hard to think that Cipriani, age 22, is more culpable than England management for the derailing of his career.

He's made his mistakes I'm sure, his Wasps team-mates didn't fall out with him for no reason, but he's hardly the first young tyro who needed some direction.

The curious thing with the S15 next year is less that Cipriani will be playing for a new franchise, but the format of the competition has changed significantly. Half the Rebels' games will be home-and-away fixtures against Australian neighbours, so he's either going to love the way the game is played down-under, or it's going to be a very long season. The road trips to SA and NZ are tough at the best of times, and no fun at all if you are the whipping boys of the tournament. But the Rebels squad looks reasonable, and if Cipriani is serious about taking his second chance, they could be quite a handy side.

A great blog I think Ben. Cipriani's career has so often been looked at in isolation I feel. The minute he had a bad game in the Autumn of 08 the previous potential that he had shown was forgotten. Unfortunately in this country people seem to think that the minute you play well once you will be able to play like that for the rest of your career. He was mismanaged after the injury and has spent a long time trying to catch up again. Wayne Rooney's inability to be able to fully recover his form and fitness having returned too early in the CL highlight the fact that short term gain can make life a lot harder in the long term.
A clean break and a fresh start can only be a good thing. I for one believe he will thrive in a new environment and will be able to learn an awful lot from playing a consistently higher standard of rugby than he has on offer over here. There are world class players operating in the Top 14, but there are far less than in the Super 15. In his position alone the S15 offers the 4 best world players currently, and for his rugby education, this can only be a good thing. He should be applauded for leaving his comfort zone making such an upheaval in order to improve himself as a rugby player.

I've yet to see this amazing talent that people seem to keep commenting that he has... he has shown glimpses but you need to perform consistently - sadly he hasn't managed to show any type of consistency for either Wasps or England.

As an England Rugby fan, i sincerely hope he does go and become an amazing talent, complete, consistent and can become a worthy successor to Jonny.... but i won't hold my breath.

I'm confused by the general nature of the discourse in these blogs. As a Wasps fan who watches our matches, in Cipriani's last full season he was brilliant. Consistently brilliant. He was a credit to the team playing at 10 or 15. His steady play was just overshadowed by the Melbourne signing and Will Carling's comments. I wish him all the best because he is one of Englands best players. Period.

15? The guy let in several tries because he can't tackle. It's something he admitted to himself just months ago, that the defnsive aspects of his game have taken a step backwards so he is going down under to help improve on that part of his game? I appreciate sport is about opinions, but if that is consistently brilliant then the bar for Cipriani, and other players, is set far lower than it should be. Fair play to you though, you are the first Wasps fan that has said openly they were happy with him this season, and if you truly believe that after being at the games then I don't think anyone could help you change your mind. Everyone else I know felt it was best for both parties if he moved on as neither side was getting much from the relationship anymore.

the reason cipiriani feels he needs to be treated diffirently is because he is different. he is one of the hottest talents in English rugby and needs to be nurtured and looked after. too many people are trying to get rid of his cons instead of encouraging his pros. in any other rugby culture, e.g new zealand, he would be world class by now. but instead, because of the low risk, boring rugby encouraged by the premiship and england, he is being wasted.

i quite like the spencer/michalak carter/giteau analogy. granted he hasnt even reached the levels of spencer or michalak, but he has shown the inconsistency and lack of game management under pressure that prevented michalak and spencer from being greats. His raw talent is absolutely up there with those boys.

Good luck to the guy, is a wonderful player with bags of potential. Think that Super 15 rugby is going to suit his play and hopefully being out of the UK media spotlight will allow him to reach his potential.

As a Scotsman, I am worried by the prospect.

It's clearly the right decision for him to go now and I wish that more NH players had the guts to seek out such moves.

It's not all about the quality of players around you either, he could have been playing world class opposition most weeks in the top14 after all, but it is about style of play. He will learn so much from a couple of years experiencing a different culture and style of play (not to mention training) and if he has any wits about him will be able to combine some of the best bits of both styles.






7. At 12:18pm on 11 Oct 2010, The Holy Hooker wrote:

...Worse, he could become England's Gavin Henson - a footballer's personality in a gifted rugby player's body....

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What a stupid and sad little comment. The vast majority of football players are workaholics who give 100% on every appearance. You can not survive at the top of the game these days without having that. Those who do not have the right ethic have over the past 5 years in particular either changed and grown (Cristiano Ronaldo) or been largely left behind (Ronaldinho). Gavin Henson in either sport would have had the same issues and been consigned to being a bit-part talent just like footballers like Adebayor have.

Cipriani is still a work in progress and far from the finished article. He has shown, on a couple of occasions, that there is some talent to be mined, but these occasions are fewer and further between than the hype surrounding this player would have you believe.

He has, as a player, a couple of major weaknesses; one being his kicks form hand, which quite often are charged down. This is caused by his lead-up; he takes one step too many. A simple cause, really, but one he doesn't seem to be able to correct, which is not a good sign. The second is his habit of the ill-timed, errant pass. This usually occurs when in attack and on the edge of the opposition's red zone. It's anybody's guess why he continues to do this.

Either way Cipriani is a long way from being an internationalist and Martin Johnson's question "Whose perception is it that he's a unique talent?" is, in fact, the $64,000 question.

Could it be that the sports media are so desperate to find a new golden boy of English rugby to replace Wilkinson that they have anointed Cipriani a tad too early? If so, I suggest that the media find someone else, as Danny Boy has yet to develop and it’s not a sure thing that he’s ever going to.

Cipriani's fall from grace was simply due to his severe ankle injury. Without that incredible misfortune he would have replaced Wilkinson and however he had behaved off the field no one would have cared! The mistake was to expect him to play top-flight rugby so soon; his ankle may have healed but anyone could see he lacked confidence and was protecting the limb. There is no way he could have played his best for another 12 - 18 months. Cipriani's demise should be a lesson to all professional sportsmen and their mentors and coaches. Don't worry he'll be back and at his best by Autumn 2012.

"He has shown, on a couple of occasions, that there is some talent to be mined, but these occasions are fewer and further between than the hype surrounding this player would have you believe."

The hype surrounding him seems to suggest that he's not a good player; thinly veiled criticisms at his ability. I must reiterate, that having seen him play, he is an amazing talent that clearly works hard. Watch what he produces on the pitch. His biggest crime seems to be that he is a 'confidence player'. Clearly England is not the right environment for him, obsessed as we are with knocking people down. I predict that in the super 15 he'll outplay a Carter one week before having a down week. In Australia, they realise that's part of a process of maturation; over here we just declare him a 'bust'. I'm not upset though; the player arc he seems to be following is Mike Catt and I have no issue with that at all.

Taking the footballer analogy a step further, he is more rugby's Wayne Rooney - a rare talent that shone brightly very young and has had a wayward personal life, but undoubtedly loves and lives for the game. It is such a shame that Cipriani doesn't have his own version of Sr'Alex to shield him and guide him, and that the powers that be in rugby remain so much more wary of a "maverick" given their "stuffier" nature. Could you ever imagine Rooney becoming persona non grata with the FA and Capello and being allowed, if not encouraged, to go to play in Brazil (the closest equivalent I guess) in exile for two years and not to play for England in that time?

I find it shocking that Danny is to be lost to our game and our national team, and sincerely hope he finds his feet down under and turns in the kind of match-winning performances of which we surely know he is capable to "cock a snoop" at the RFU and the intransigent Johnson.

It is not as if we have game changers like him coming out of Johnno's enormous cauliflower ears, is it? I know, let's rely on Andy Goode and Charlie Hodgson or hope for the seventh coming of Jonny to cure all ills!! Good grief!

being a wasps fan and season ticket holder i was lucky enough to see cipriani make his debut and play for wasps for the past 3 seasons or so, he is an exceptional talent and filled the boots of Alex King with out too much fuss, which was big boots to fill as Alex was wasps fly half 10 years. ok so he has had his bust ups with coaching staff at both club and international level but which major sports star hasnt, i belive we should let him live the life he wants to live as ben dirs said 'He is, after all, only 22' soo lets judge him for his rugby ability and not wat gf he has on his arm after all RUGBY is his profession

Not so much worried about the World Cup, but what about the next Lions tour. Not much more than 12 months before South Africa we were all excited about the possibility of Cipriani and Hook playing together, two fleet-footed young wizards who looked potentially as good as anything that the Southern Hemisphere had to offer. Then the "silly laws" came in which made everybody kick first/attack later and every coach left out their exciting fly halves in favour of the steady eddies like Goode. The laws have changed now to encourage better rugby but still the Northern hemisphere coaches are reluctant to leave out their steady eddies. It's early days yet, but if the 6 nations doesn't look like the kind of rugby fest that we're seeing in the tri-nations, then the world cup could be very embarrassing indeed. Australia in their last match against the Saffers were fantastic in the first half and we could get blown away if we are sending out steady eddies against movement like that. I just hope that has been corrected by the time the lions tour comes again

He's a talent. Lacking in confidence right now but a talent nonetheless.

His problem stems from his "me, me" mentality. "A team includes all kinds of personalities," he said last year. "You have to manage them differently. It was weird, they [the England management] didn't even communicate with me." What a load of rubbish, Danny!

All I see right now is England's Chavin Henson. The lad went on MTV, bare chested on some ridiculous dating show when he was 18-odd. He should have been more concerned about learning from the best and not his impending magazine career.

He obviously feels he should be treated as a special talent but having done some coaching myself, I feel everyone gets the same treatment or you get out of the team. It's a team game and there's no room for posers.

Hmm, it seems full stops and spaces aren't allowed on here!

Whilst it might be an interview with the Â鶹Éç, to me this is nothing more than PR ( he has been poorly advised to date by his management who pretend they don't know how stories end up in the papers). He missed the Melbourne Rebels unveiling of the team to their sponsors. This merely shows he does harbour ambition and commitment,and I think it was said for the benefit of his new employees and shows he does have a passion for the sport. After all you are not going to sign a player who has no ambitions or goals.

It's amazing how many people on here seem to have insight into Cipriani's personality. My suspicion is that much of what is written about him is the typical English media 'tall poppy' stuff - a talented young player with a high profile girlfriend obviously means he is a celebrity-obsessed waster.

Yes, he did have a bad injury, and was brought back prematurely and it has had an effect on both his confidence and reputation (which was on a huge high after that first start against Ireland). Also, there are some issues with his game that do still need work. Physically he is big enough to be a solid defender, but doesn't yet have the mentality of players like Wilkinson or Noon who will take the responsibility to tackle anything coming their way. Also, as others have said, he is more prone to having kicks charged down than some other out halfs - whether it is that he takes a bit long to get the kick away or that his kicks are a bit too flat in trajectory I'm not sure.

Unlike others though, I think his management of the attacking game is good enough for international rugby (look at how well he played in that game v Ireland), and that it will only improve with age and experience.

I actually like his decision to go to Aus and play Super 15 rugby - it is a higher level than European domestic competition, and is a style of play that should suit his attributes, plus it should take him away from the media spotlight and let him focus on just becoming the best player he can be.

Cipriani is good - very, very good. But nowhere good enough to be mentioned in the same bracket as Carter and Giteau

To be honest, I don't think DC is an amazing player. He as the potential to be not bad. He will never be as good as Dan Carter or Wilko or anyone in that category. At the end of the day he is just a boy who picks fights when he can, throws tantrums and is just as immature off the field.

I do love the amount speculation that goes on when a player does something different. I have to say considering what we know I feel DC is doing the right thing for him and if it pays off for england. I can think of two players who went south and became better for it Martin Johnson very early in his career went to New Zealand this added a lot to his raw talent then Sir Clive (another outsider as player) went Oz at the end of his career probably helped his development as coach.
In DC's case I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle, as welsh man I have seen mecurial talents come and go suceed and fail barry john and arwel thomas any one. Yes rugby is team game but a coach has to be able to marry the very best inviduals with the hard grafters and often this means subtle adjustments in man management and this probably a weakness of MJ whilst a great plus for Clive woodward and Brian ashton, who both good at getting the best out some of the more mecurial talents mike catt and austin healey for example. MJ has a reputation which is intimidating and can often be stifeling looking at some recent england games. Against someone like DC who is quite headstrong it would appear probably leads more to confrontational relationship.
then equally the best and most talented players are the ones who are prepared to adapt and work with their team ie dan carter and wilko, who is an example for all young players to follow in terms of attitude to suceed in team sports. The only worry for DC is carter was an established international at 22 he has alot of work to do.

Ben,

I think you are just about right with the Cipriani enigma, however, so is Robbo277 when saying that since being dropped he has not come close to warranting international recognition.

However, as all but Tigers fans and the over-nostalgic 2003 brigade will accept, MJ is a selection roundhead who will not pick maverick creative players and give them a license to play, he does seem to be getting some other facets of the squad right though and has brought through a number of good players (too reluctantly at times). A 1 point win has bought time for the current set-up and perhaps a corner has been turned but the impending AIs could also reveal the perceived progress as illusory.

Having watched the abysmal first test against OZ after some of the atrocious fare served up by England in the previous year I have a feeling the need for creative flair and question marks over a centre pairing of Hape and Tindall will re-emerge.

DC's strength was always that he could produce the unexpected. That somehow turned into a requirement for him to produce the unexpected always - only it don't work like that guys.

The modern professional team game (be it rugby, football, cricket) has no place for individuals who like to take risks and try things, because (hey!) they may not come off. As a consequence football will never produce another Best, Rod Marsh or Frank Worthington.

One definition of a good manager is someone who gives their charges the space to develop and produce the best of their talent. In those terms MJ is a leader, not a manager.

DC needs to forget the distractions and concentrate on producing his undoubted skills consistently for the benefit of whichever team he turns out for. The rest will follow.

Seems to me that Johnson has managed to spend a fair bit of his reign picking out-of-form players and sticking with them despite overwhelming evidence that they weren't cutting it - Borthwick, Flutey and Goode spring to mind, plus the absolutely flabbergasting decision last year to call up Erinle, who has never known how to pass a rugby ball and at the time couldn't even get on the Biarritz bench. So if Cipriani is indeed a "special" case for us fans, then he also seems to be a special case for MJ - only the other way round.

Against that, MJ has gone on record as saying that the player he has "spent the most time talking to" over the last couple of years has been Cipriani.

Who to believe?

I do feel the Super 15 is the wrong decision because even if he succeeds, critics will point to the vastly different playing styles and assert (with some justification) that while DC might be able to play THAT way, will he be able to ignite the England team on a wet afternoon at Murrayfield?

Last point: it's amusing to see people talk of Michalak and Spencer as if they somehow failed as players. Carlos had a long, pretty successful and eminently entertaining career, while Michalak has more caps than most players in the current England team, and like Wilkinson and Castaignede, would have gone on to make many more if it hadn't been for injury.

It is good that Danny is going to Oz. It will be an opportunity to prove himself. He wasn't delivering for Wasps. Look at the last 2 years record. He showed flashes of genius and then for long periods disappeared from the game. He's got to get his mind straight. Read the Stephen jones interview. He promised former team mates that he would attend 2 Heineken cup games before going to Oz and he couldn't organise his visa to attend an important team get together in Australia. Oh he didn't seem to have told his new management until the last minute he couldn't make it. Sort yourself out, Danny! Rugby is a team game first and foremost. When Danny starts to talk solely about the 'we' and not the 'I' of the game he could become a great player. If not he will be one of a long line of players who had the talent but not the mindset for success.

I'm inlcined to respect DC for his decision to go down under. I don't think Johnson has managed him well for England (the primary mistake being the rush-recall v South Africa). Some people might not like DC's comments about MJ's lack of man-management - and I acknowledge that it is disrespectful to make them public - but by the same token, I think there's more than a grain of truth in there. A team comprises of individuals who need to be treated as such in order to flourish. Clive Woodward was well aware of this. And ultimately, when it comes to man management I'm always going to give more credence to McGeechan's perspective than that of a relative novice like MJ.

He has certainly been misguided and foolish at times, but I do not detect any vindictiveness in his behaviour or his words. I also don't see much evidence of a player trying to do anything other than make the most of his talent. We are so used to sports stars in their teens that we forget that 22 is still a young age at which to deal with the pressure and attention that DC has received. Did he invite it by forming a relationship with a famous girl? Maybe, but lets try and avoid the cynicism for a moment and acknowledge that maybe it was (is?) a genuine relationship between two people who cared about each other.

It will be a fascinating season for him. Many aspects of the Super 14s appear to be tailor made for his game however, as many have suggested, his defence will be sorely tested - he knows this is a weakness and it will be interesting to watch his progress. I also wonder how his game will stand up to bigger hits from the more mobile packs and bigger, league-style centres. He will effectively have a big bullseye tattooed on his forehead and it will be interesting to see how he copes. On top form, his main forte was the speeed of his decision making and this will be crucial to his success in Melbourne. That this is very tied into his confidence will make his progress, or lack of it, even more frustrating.

I think it would be rather churlish to wish him anything but success.

20 year old single man dates model - shocking. Most of us can only dream on it. Get more French about people in public eye, who cares about their private life, in fact celebrate it. How many years does he need to be down under to qualify to play for Australia?

I thnk DC has taken his eye off the ball, what's next for him Strictly? comment 44 hits nail on the head. DC is a talented modern rugby player, but if he was as good as he thinks he is, then teams would have been built round him and coaches scared to ignore him.

I think being down here will do DC the World of good.
The laid back attitiude and less intrusive press coverage and speculation will not put him on such a pedestal.
Lets face it, he's going to be coming up against truly great outside halves, week in week out and he'll be being compared to the likes of Dan Carter and Quaid Cooper, Matt Giteau etc.
He'll have to be at the top of his game, every time he walks onto the field coz there won't be a Leeds or Exeter to give him a break.
I live in Adelaide but I look forward to going to Melbourne and watching DC grow and learn.
If anyone can get the best out of him then I'd put my money on it being Rod McQueen too.
Watch this space coz of he has a really good Super 15 then can MJ really ignore him?
With all due respect to Toby Flood, England cannot possibly hope to win the World Cup with him at 10.

I still think this was more about PR and to allay the concerns of his new employees who where annoyed about him not showing up.
That said Cipriani has gained the support of England fly half Jonny Wilkinson who believes not only will he have a bright future with the Melbourne Rebels, but will also have a huge role to play for England in the future.





[ Wilkinson holds high hopes of representing England at next year's World Cup, but says he would welcome the rivalry of a Cipriani firing on all cylinders again for a place in Johnson's 30-man squad bound for New Zealand.
"Danny has a huge, huge future [with England]," added Wilkinson. "This may be an experience that is going to give him an even bigger impact when it does come about. ]


I think there is no better person to judge than Wilkinson and I for one won't argue with his statement.

My own view is yes he makes errors, but he is a very creative and exciting rugby player and I hope like Wilkinson he returns and makes an even stronger impression on England rugby...good luck to him.

The problems started with a career threatning injury and coming back too early with too much expectation. The talent existed and will blossom again out of the limelight. Australia or France is still debatable but he is a natural sportsman and will have learnt from the last couple of years, albeit some of the problems were of his own making. It's a sad day if people do not want him back at his best because there is still nobody at 10 with his attacking ability when back at his pre injury form.

'Celebrity' is not an ingredient to be a great sportsperson. Once established at both Club and National level - then 'milk' the benefits....unfortanetly Danny has not demonstrated he can stay the distance, so why doesn't he get someone to get himself back on track.....maybe he feels his so called 'celebrity' status, places him above that. It is a shame, as he does have some natural talent with flashes of flair.