An utter disgrace if Cipriani isn’t selected for the tour
AT The end of a long season we have our four play-off semifinalists — it’s a high-quality field which represents the best in Premiership Rugby. The first thing that hits me is that all four teams have British coaches, underlining yet again what great home-bred talent we have and why there is no need to look automatically to the southern hemisphere when hiring coaches. I have admired Rob Baxter from afar for a few years now and finally got to have a proper chat at a charity dinner recently. What an impressive guy. he has done an exceptional job at exeter and probably the most impressive aspect is the way they have kicked on and improved from last season’s championshipwinning team. That is incredibly difficult to achieve. Mark McCall’s achievements at Saracens do not get the plaudits they deserve. he is such a clever man-manager and somehow almost always gets the best out of his international contingent while using his wider squad effectively. Dai Young has been at Wasps a long time, and the club have been through difficult times, yet he always gives them licence to play. Dean Richards is doing what he has always done — at Leicester and Quins before Newcastle — and that is build a side that gets better each season. And the second thing the clubs all have in common is the talent they possess at fly-half. Danny Cipriani has been the best No 10 in the Premiership this season and it would be an utter disgrace — in fact a tragedy — if he doesn’t tour South Africa with england this summer. On current form, he is clearly the starting Test 10 with Saracens’ Owen Farrell at No 12. Farrell’s range of passing is quite exceptional to go with his all-round game, kicking ability and ferocious defence. Young Joe Simmonds has proved a revelation for exeter in the second half of the season too. At Newcastle, we have seen Toby Flood keeping the Falcons on track while the injured Joel hodgson has also been influential. These 10s have been
galvanising some exciting backs and, with the exception off Chris Ashton — ludicrously banished because he plays in France — the play-off teams would provide my back division for England’s first Test against South Africa on June 9. I would happily start with a back line of Alex Goode; Ashton, Elliot Daly, Farrell, Christian Wade or Jack Nowell; Cipriani and Dan Robson. And the finalists? Home advantage is key. I’m going for a Chiefs-Sarries final.