Cipriani wins recall Jones ready to end Wasps player’s exile
Jones ready to end fly-half ’s three-year exile Farrell to captain team for tour of South Africa
Danny Cipriani is poised to be handed the chance to rekindle his England career three years after he won his last cap when Eddie Jones names his 34-man squad for the tour of South Africa next month.
Cipriani’s recall is expected to be the eye-catching selection from today’s announcement. Saracens flyhalf Owen Farrell is expected to take over the captain’s role after Dylan Hartley was ruled out with a concussion injury.
Cipriani, the Wasps fly-half, whose last game was against France in England’s World Cup warm-up game in Paris in August 2015, is thought to be considered an option as a full-back as well as fly-half.
The 30-year-old’s recall would be one of the most significant of his career, given that he has been overlooked by previous England head coaches Stuart Lancaster and Martin Johnson and is considering a move overseas if the international door is closed to him this year.
Farrell is the obvious choice to captain the squad, given he was Jones’s choice when Hartley was ruled out of the Six Nations match against France, although as one of England’s Lions players, there was also a thought of resting the 26-year-old.
Jones has been forced to make a number of radical selections, given the number of injuries and players who need rest. Twenty players are unavailable for the three-test tour.
Among those who are thought to be in line to be rested are Leicester prop Dan Cole and Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care. Mako Vunipola is expected to tour, however.
Jones is already without Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson, Courtney Lawes, George Kruis and Nathan Hughes because of injury, while Manu Tuilagi, who has been plagued by injuries over the past two years, said last week he did not expect to be selected for the tour.
Jones, who is likely to name a 31-man training squad for the camp in Brighton next week – when he is without those players involved in the Premiership semi-finals and finals – will allow as much time as possible for Billy Vunipola to prove his fitness. The Saracens No8 has suffered from a tight hamstring that delayed his return to the starting XV after a wretched 18 months with knee and shoulder injuries.
There are expected to be some new faces, too, with Brad Shields, the Hurricanes flanker, likely to ne included, having asked for his release from the New Zealand Rugby Union. Jason Woodward, the Gloucester full-back who is of New Zealand extraction, is also thought to be involved in one of the squads.
Meanwhile, Ireland have tied down defence coach Andy Farrell to an extended contract, along with several other members of Joe Schmidt’s back-room team. Fellow assistant coaches Simon Easterby and Richie Murphy have signed new contracts, which will run until June 2020. The Irish Rugby Union has confirmed that highly regarded scrum coach Greg Feek will shortly join Ricoh Black Rams, the Japanese team, but will continue in his present role with Ireland until the 2019 World Cup.
Schmidt’s own contract runs out at the conclusion of the World Cup, when a bout of musical chairs between international coaches could take place. Both Schmidt and Warren Gatland, the Wales head coach, have been strongly linked with taking up the New Zealand job once Steve Hansen steps aside.
South Africa have been dealt a blow with the news that Malcolm Marx is unlikely to feature in any of the three matches against England. Marx has a hamstring tendon tear.