DANNY DOUBLE AWARD TURNS THE WORLD CUP HEAT ON EDDIE
EDDIE JONES came under further pressure to call Danny Cipriani into his World Cup plans after the Gloucester fly-half completed a player-of-the-year double.
Cipriani, whose creative gifts have delivered 13 assists for his new club, last night added the Premiership Rugby gong to the players’ player award he picked up three weeks ago.
He is the only man after Wasps’ Jimmy Gopperth in 2017 to do that particular double. Cipriani’s form has impressed everyone except Jones.
The England coach has overlooked him since handing him a start in the dead rubber against South Africa last June, preferring Owen Farrell (inset, top) as his No.10, with George Ford (inset, bottom) as his back-up.
The suspicion is Jones does not think Cipriani fits in as a personality in his squad. But Gloucester coach Johan Ackermann insists his experience of the 31-year-old has been unwaveringly positive at club level.
“I’m very pleased and so happy for Danny,” said Ackermann. “I’m so proud of him. When a player joins a club and there’s a bit of pressure on you to perform, you have to adapt to the style of the team and the coaches involved. I can only speak highly of Danny’s commitment to the team.
“He’s probably got the best skill I’ve seen from a fly-half from an attacking point of view, he can kick well and he’s extremely fast. His distribution is top class. He’s made an immediate impact.”
Jones is set to name an expanded World Cup training squad next month which could offer Cipriani a lifeline in his hopes of making Japan 2019.
But, other than playing Farrell off the field in Saturday’s Premiership semi-final against Saracens, it is hard to think what else he can do to persuade the Australian he is worthy of a place.
Sale’s England flanker Tom Curry won the young player of the season award.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall beat Exeter’s Rob Baxter to coach of the year after steering the Premiership runners-up to a second European title in three seasons.
Bristol’s Pat Lam, a nominee after keeping the club up following promotion, has pledged his future to the club after signing a new long-term contract which sees him promoted from head coach to director of rugby.