CIPRIANI READY FOR THE SHED
DANNY CIPRIANI spent yesterday getting used to his new surroundings at Kingsholm and recalling past visits there, when the locals made fun of his love life.
Gloucester’s new playmaker agreed to join the West Country club at the end of last season, just days after being recalled to the England squad for the summer tour of South Africa.
The 30-year-old went on to force his way back into the Test No 10 shirt — which he had last worn a decade earlier — and had a major hand in a face-saving victory over the Springboks, in the series finale in Cape Town.
After spending part of his abbreviated off-season break engaging in an alternative training regime which featured surfing in California, Cipriani is now focused on ensuring the fabled Shed are firmly onside. That certainly wasn’t the case in the early stages of his career.
Asked if he had been a target for Gloucester’s notoriously partisan and vocal followers — ever hostile to threatening visitors — Cipriani said: ‘When I was a bit younger, yeah. It was just banter. They used to shout out my ex-girlfriends’ names at me. It used to make me laugh.
‘It is the most hostile crowd if you are playing against it and I have got the luxury of playing with it this season, and the next few,’ he continued.
He admitted that he would make the most of having the Shed behind him, adding: ‘I’ll definitely be playing up to them — kissing the badge when I score!’
During six seasons of consistently impressive form for Sale and Wasps, Cipriani had been driven by a fervent desire to reignite his international career.
Now that Eddie Jones has had a change of heart and opened the door for him to challenge for a role at next year’s World Cup, the gifted Cipriani is mindful of retaining the same sense of purpose.
Is he now hungrier than ever? ‘Yeah, definitely,’ he said. ‘ But you’ve seen me for the last six seasons — I’ve been hungry and my focus hasn’t changed.’
When pressed on whether the tangible reward of an England comeback made any difference in terms of motivation, he added: ‘Is it better to be in the chasing pack, or is it better to be in the pack, to try to go forward? I’ve got back in, right now I’m in there and I’ve got to do everything I can to stay there.’
Immediately after the South Africa tour, that meant not much time for rest and satisfied reflection. Instead, he found unconventional ways to stay in shape.
‘I stayed very active this summer, as I have done for the last four years,’ said Cipriani. ‘I went to Malibu and did some training down there. It’s a different type of training. It doesn’t really involve a ball or too much running, but it’s a lot of explosive stuff, a lot of surfing and being out on the water.
‘You need time off but you’re only going to get a short preseason after a tour so you need to make sure you’re in good shape.’