Ashton has some advice for Eddie Jones on handling Cipriani
Brian Ashton, the England head coach who launched Danny Cipriani’s international career in 2008 and then had to drop him for visiting a London night club, admits it is “bizarre” the No10 will win only his 16th cap when he faces South Africa in Cape Town tomorrow.
Ashton first coached Cipriani at England age group level when he was just 15-years-old and believes current head coach Eddie Jones needs to give the outside half licence to thrill. With the series already lost, England need a win to end a run of five successive test defeats and Ashton is confident his former charge will deal with the pressure and expectation.
He told RugbyPass: “Danny is an opportunistic player and is always looking for the chance to do something which is why it is dangerous to nail him down into a rigid game plan.
“That takes away one of his best qualities; his ability to spot things quicker and earlier than other players. You give him a framework to play, make sure he fits into it and then just give him his head and let him go.
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“Danny is calmer these days and has grown up as a person and has doubled his life span since I first met him! He has gone through good and bad experiences and that is just part of life and has matured quite well. He has a way of speaking now which is no where near as excitable but has not lost his enthusiasm or way of looking at the game.
“There hwell-recorded recorded twists and turns during the ten years between his England starts but it does seem bizarre that a player with so much talent is only winning his 16th cap and you would have expected at this point it to be 60 caps if not more. It is never an easy way in English rugby for players with a different mind set and I am just delighted he has got this opportunity.
“I won’t be nervous for Danny and there will be adrenalin pumping through his body on Saturday but he is in a good place to deal with that.
“A lot will depend on what is happening in front of him, although he is someone who is very good off the back foot and people forget he is an outstanding games player and understands the tempo and flow of games and recognising how to get things back on the front foot.
“He is enjoys confronting people on the pitch and likes to test them out and that fun element has not been professionalised out of him.”
Cipriani on England duty in 2015
Ashton never doubted Cipriani would keep battling for a recall and rates is play, since returning from a period of playing in Australia to get away from off-the-field problems and bad publicity, as warranting the rating as England’s leading No10.
He added: “You always wish that a player with the talents Danny will get another opportunity at some point and the last season at Sale and the two at Wasps has shown he has been one of – if not – the form No10 in the Premiership. It is a selection on current form and has not been brought in for any other reason which is good for Danny.
“The difference between Danny now and the player I had at Bath as a 15-year-old is that his skills have been honed and his awareness of team play is more acute. But, I don’t believe his mind set has changed and he still has the ability to look at the game differently to other players.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
1 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
26 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
26 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
26 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
26 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
26 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
26 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
26 Go to commentsSurprising how standing down or benching a player can do wonders for their motivation. Several players this week in that category.
2 Go to commentsHaha lads lads lads, that’s how you have a holiday In Majorca
4 Go to commentshit on Lynagh was defo late and card-worthy. The other 2 are bang on OK. Hurts you at Test level if youre timing is off and the nostrils are flared. Jerry C knew when to lean in on one, Finau just needs to keep his discipline and head straight.
7 Go to commentsSlade was exceptional against Gloucester. Not only was he doing the classic Slade stuff of running amazing lines and timing passes to perfection to put his wingers into space, he was kicking goals, flying off the line smashing people and crashing into rucks like a flanker… his hair even looked on point. 😍
1 Go to commentsThat’s really sad, hope everyone involved is ok. At least he had pants on.
4 Go to commentsTo be fair it was nowhere bear the Leinster first team (for which, btw, Leinster copped nothing like the outrage that Jake White did for sending a rotated team to the UK). But it’s fun to watch the Stormers doing their thing. They are attracting big, diverse crowds of young fans, and deservedly so. Great to see.
1 Go to commentsIt might be legal but he’s sailing pretty close to the wind. Not a lot needs to go wrong for Finau to end up in the bin. Was it late? Not quite, but borderline. High? A couple of CM within the laws, no room for error with that one. Did he wrap the arms? There was a token effort to wrap one arm, the intent was clearly to hit with the shoulder. So yeah, it’s legal, just. But as we all know, a very slight change in the dynamics could easily have him seeing red. Hopefully not when it really matters.
7 Go to comments