A TALE OF TWO (FLY) HALVES
vAllianz Park, 1.30pm
WHEN Danny Cipriani made his full England debut at Twickenham, schoolboy Owen Farrell saw him as a superstar.
Eleven years on he can’t get into the England team because of Farrell.
And the Saracens star, 27, today stands between Cipriani and a showpiece return to the home of rugby.
This season Gloucester’s maverick fly-half has become only the second man to be named player of the year by the Premiership and his fellow professionals.
But he would give that up in a heartbeat for a semifinal win over the reigning champions.
Cipriani, 31, said: “When you look back on your career it’s nice to know that happened in that one year – but you’d trade it all in to get a win this weekend.”
For the ninth time this season Eddie Jones will travel to watch him – prompting Gloucester to joke that the England coach should buy a season ticket.
The Australian has not picked him since last summer when he started alongside Farrell in Cape Town. England won but, to the naked eye, the pair did not appear to strike up much of a relationship.
“People make a thing
about the characters of me and Owen,” countered Cipriani. “With my non-selection, people want to find a reason why, but in that moment it might not be what the coach feels and you have to accept that. I get on well with Owen.
“He’s extremely talented, unbelievably competitive and you can see the aura he has.”
Farrell admits he does not know Cipriani as well as “some others” but said: “I’ve always been good with him.”
Cipriani wowed Farrell with a show-stopping performance against Ireland on his first England start back in 2008 yet has since Wasps Melbourne Sale Wasps Gloucester England
2007 93 19 76 51 22 16 2019 668 122 590 140 78 64
worn the No.10 jersey just four times. His rival has amassed 70 caps.
Farrell said: “Danny was a superstar at a young age. He could do some electric things. I was still in sixth form but you remember some of the tries he was involved in and scored. It’s the same now.”
What a tale it would be if a season which began with Cipriani in the clink ended with him unlocking the door to an England return. Saracens 157 Bedford(loan) 4 England 70 The Lions 4 1,574 11 776 31
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