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John Mitchell refuses to say it's all over for Danny Cipriani's World Cup hopes
England assistant John Mitchell has refused to admit that Danny Cirpaini’s World Cup selection hopes are dead in the water.
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The maverick Gloucester out-half was omitted from England’s current 12-day warm-weather camp in Treviso on the back of missing a previous camp.
Those setbacks appeared to spell the end of Cipriani making it into the 31-strong squad that will be named on August 12 for the finals in Japan.
Mitchell admitted selection – both for the finals and the last-chance August 11 warm-up against Wales prior to the squad’s announcement – was not his department when quizzed on the subject during a Tuesday afternoon media conference call from Treviso.
But he hinted players inside and outside the squad must keep on preparing as they never know when they might be needed.
Eddie Jones excludes Premiership player of the year from England warm weather camp https://t.co/F8hxqDYOpq
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 22, 2019
“Eddie will make a decision on the squad when we get back to England. Nothing changes there,” said the defence coach from England’s base in Italy where it is hoped their training in humid conditions can help them acclimatise for the sticky conditions expected at the finals.
“It’s not for me to talk about selection – that’s Eddie’s call but we’re going to need everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in now or you’re out preparing – the thing is that you need to be ready. Danny is no different. Nor is Ben (Moon).
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“He [Cipriani] has been in for two weeks. Him and Ben are both very good players. We have got excellent players inside and excellent players outside.
Danny Cipriani omitted from England squad for Treviso training camp with no explanation from Eddie Jones.
Since being named in official RWC training squad, Cipriani will have been in camp for just one week out of a possible four.— Alex Lowe 📰 (@AlexMLowe) July 22, 2019
“There have been players inside this group at the moment who have been out as well. Everyone has to be ready and Ben and Danny are no different,” added Mitchell, who did let slip that the clash with Wales wouldn’t impact massively on their overall thinking about the squad.
“One game doesn’t determine selection. We have seen enough of these people over a long period of time. One game is not going to determine their Rugby World Cup future.
“It is part of the plan and there will definitely be a strategy around that particular Test match. It just happens to be near a milestone where there will be a naming.
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🌇 RISING SONS: Episode 4
The journey to Japan continues as Eddie puts the squad through their paces at a training camp in Treviso 👊 #WearTheRose 🌹 @O2Sports pic.twitter.com/EM4dE99LKE
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 30, 2019
“Ultimately it’s just one match of four that are all geared towards our key focus of preparing for Tonga, USA, Argentina and France.”
England are carrying a number of injuries, the latest being the foot problem that will sideline back row Brad Shields for a period of up to six weeks. He joins Mako Vunipola, George Kruis and Jack Nowell on a comeback trail where no public deadline has been set for them to be fully fit.
“Brad was in training running around. We had just completed the warm-up and then we were into some attacking and defensive activities.
The clock is now ticking on the Rugby World Cup fitness of England's Brad Shields.https://t.co/wKtwJJi22u
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 30, 2019
“If you have had a tear under the base of your foot it becomes very noticeable. He’s generally a great player in the way he endures pain, but on this particular occasion it became a little too acute and he was sensible enough to pull up and go and get it checked.
“That [fitness deadlines] is Eddie’s area. That’s something he will address at that particular time. There’s flexibility around that time. I’m sure he will be aware of it. Everyone is working towards that one milestone, but there’s still a lot of time between then and the World Cup and that is why we are preparing everyone.
“Already, if you look at our situation here, we have really good players in and we have some really good players out. If you look at the history of recent World Cups some positions have gone four or five deep on some occasions.
“Everyone just has to be ready regardless of what position they are in. While the deadline is important from a logistical point of view and I guess from a commercial point of view, ultimately everyone has to be ready because it is a long way between then and finishing the World Cup.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
2 Go to comments