Cipriani is waiting on Jones before making next move - Andy Goode
It’s not time to throw the baby out with the bathwater but England’s wretched Six Nations campaign showed change is overdue and Danny Cipriani and Joe Simmonds have to get the nod for South Africa.
I spoke to Danny the other day and he’s basically waiting to see if Eddie Jones picks him before he makes up his mind and finalises where he’s going to be next season, so the ramifications of whether he’s selected or not are enormous.
I was in a similar situation when I left Leicester, who were winning trophies and my last game was against Wasps in the European Cup final in 2008, to go to Brive but I thought I wasn’t going to be picked by England and got offered a far bigger contract so I took it.
You would have thought that Jones could have had an encouraging word in his ear already to get him to stay in the Premiership but now it’s make or break time and as a player you have to make the most of your opportunities if you’re overlooked.
On form, you have to take him and there’s definitely a case for him to be starting in the first test in Johannesburg as well now. Owen Farrell goes and is captain but if you stick with him at inside centre, then Cipriani has to be the man to start inside him.
He’s been head and shoulders above George Ford this season and I’d take Simmonds as the other back up fly half after the form he’s shown and how impressive he’s been in displacing Gareth Steenson in the best club side in the country.
Marcus Smith has been in the England squad as an apprentice and many people will expect to see him in there but he’s been playing in a poor Quins team and I don’t think you can ignore how Simmonds has been controlling games for Exeter.
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Ben Te’o, Henry Slade and Alex Lozowski will all be putting their hands up to start at inside centre with Farrell at fly half but I think Cipriani has earned the opportunity to show he can perform the role that Ford has been playing for the past couple of seasons and do it better.
Defence has never been Danny’s strong point. Dai Young even joked that he made his first tackle of the season against Northampton last week, but Ford has been a liability in defence at times and what Cipriani brings to a team’s attack is far and above what Ford has been offering over the past 12 months.
Right now, there’s no better number 10 in the Premiership. He attacks the line and keeps his shoulders square, which draws defenders in, and nobody else can do that to the level he can in England at the moment.
England’s attack was poor in the Six Nations and they’ve stagnated. Change is needed, he can add a new dimension to their play and he turns 32-years-old on the day of the 2019 World Cup final so there’s no question of his time having passed.
Why England don’t have a full-time backs coach is beyond me. Eddie Jones is the boss but I think he takes on too much himself at times. You need a backs coach and I think an appointment should be made for someone to come in and work towards the World Cup rather than it being just for the South Africa tour.
Glen Ella had a lot of success when England toured Australia in 2016 and Sam Vesty has worked with them before as well. Both would be good additions if it is to be one of them but a long-term solution would definitely be preferable.
I think England are the only top tier international team that brings in an attack coach, then lets them go and then brings them back for a few games so it’s a bizarre situation for me.
Elsewhere, it’s really unfortunate that Anthony Watson has picked up an Achilles injury because it looked like he was going to be the full back moving forwards but that has opened the door for Jason Woodward, who is the form man in that position for sure.
I think Manu [Tuilagi] wants to have a full pre-season and get himself fit and ready for next season with Leicester, so I’ve left him out of my predicted squad but Eddie Jones is the boss and might just decide he wants to take a closer look at him.
Mako Vunipola has played a lot of rugby and needs a rest and I think Danny Care will be another to take a break but I don’t think there’ll be a massive group of players rested.
I think Maro Itoje will go but I’ve watched Dave Attwood a lot for Toulon lately and he’s playing some of the best rugby of his career, so I’d be tempted to give him a go if Maro is rested. The Top 14 final being on June 2 could be an issue if Toulon get there but he’s still a Bath player so I don’t see any reason that he shouldn’t be selected. Jonny Hill at Exeter would be another outside bet in the second row.
The back row is the area where I think we should see the most change after England’s struggles at the breakdown in the Six Nations and I think the likes of Gary Graham and Jack Willis have played their way in alongside Don Armand and Brad Shields, who looks like he’s on the plane before he’s even touched down in Coventry.
Last summer or before the Six Nations, with where England were and how South Africa looked, you would have expected a 3-0 series whitewash. However, with a host of players missing, England having a disastrous Six Nations campaign and things looking a bit more promising in South Africa, the landscape has changed.
Anything less than a series victory will still be considered a massive disappointment and underachievement for England though. It’ll be hard fought as it always is in South Africa but I expect England to take it 2-1.
My England Squad for South Africa
BACKS | FORWARDS |
Jason Woodward | Jamie George |
Mike Brown | Luke Cowan-Dickie |
Denny Solomona | Tommy Taylor |
Jonny May | Ellis Genge |
Jack Nowell | Joe Marler |
Elliot Daly | Alec Hepburn |
Ben Te’o | Kyle Sinckler |
Henry Slade | Harry Williams |
Alex Lozowski | Jake Cooper-Woolley |
Owen Farrell | Joe Launchbury |
Danny Cipriani | Nick Isiekwe |
Joe Simmonds | Charlie Ewels |
Ben Youngs | Maro Itoje |
Dan Robson | Brad Shields |
Ben Spencer | Don Armand |
Jack Willis | |
Gary Graham | |
Tom Curry | |
Billy Vunipola | |
Sam Simmonds |
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Comments on RugbyPass
Will be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
35 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
35 Go to comments“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.
35 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.
35 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.
35 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.
35 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.
35 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!!
35 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…
35 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 comments