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Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper has hailed Danny Cipriani for the amazing impact he has made since arriving at the club in May. The 2019 players’ player of the year departed Gloucester by mutual consent last December and after a short break from the game, signed for Bath – his fourth Gallagher Premiership club – in March having also had spells with Wasps (twice) and Sale.
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“Danny has been amazing, he comes with a wealth of experience,” said Hooper. “The biggest thing for me is the skill set you can see from the guy when you watch him play but just his willingness to help other people and his willingness to help those around him has been awesome. Everyone has been benefiting from having him in the environment.”
Bath kick off their 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership campaign at Sale on September 18 and despite the lack of recent action for Cipriani, Hooper expects the 16-cap former England fly-half to be fit and ready for the start of the new term.
“He has been great (during pre-season). He has obviously been out of the game a long time, so there is a big excitement for him to get back and get the ball in his hands and get playing,” Hooper said of the 33-year-old. “I expect him to be (fit and ready).
“Obviously he is one of our players and we expect high levels of performance but from him in particular, I want him to enjoy himself, I want him to play games with a smile on his face and be the dominant attacking force that we have seen him be previously. Danny has done a full pre-season with us so he will be available right from the off and is ready to go.”
The Premiership's 2019 player of the year has outlined his first impressions of Bath, the club he started training with in May following a deal agreed in late March https://t.co/EWT8yryagL
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 24, 2021
As well as relishing seeing Cipriani shine, Hooper is looking forward to the return of fans, with stadiums allowed to be filled for Premiership rugby for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. “We have had a pre-season this year. It has been good, so the anticipation has been building.
“The fact that we have got supporters coming back in is the headline. It’s massive. The excitement that normally comes with pre-season is obviously heightened because of that.”
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TRANSFER: JJ is staying but Bath might be about to lose another Test centre. https://t.co/1NdIhDgZ6n
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 3, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments