CIPRIANI IS OFF THE LEASH
Cipriani puts his troubles behind him to inspire new club
WITH one flick of the wrists, Danny Cipriani announced himself as the new idol of Gloucester.
There were 29 other players on the pitch at Kingsholm but, uncuffed and unleashed, it was the debutant No 10 who stole the show.
He provided the catalyst for both of his side’s tries, with the anatomy of his pass for the second score — hips s quare, eyes deceptive, lobbed 21 metres — talked about long into the night.
On this evidence — and with five South African recruits still to feature — Gloucester look like genuine play-off challengers.
For t heir Northampton opponents, however, t he smell of early-season optimism went up with the whiff off Kingsholm’s chip shops.
While Cipriani added the stardust in front of Eddie Jones, it was Gloucester’s pack that provided the platform through set-piece dominance and superior di s ci pl i ne. Northampton conceded their first penalty after 45 seconds and their new head coach, Chris Boyd, fumed as his players averaged a penalty every four minutes after that.
‘I’m grumpy,’ said Boyd. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been in a game that a team have conceded 21 times but it’s something I’ll have to get used to — or not. We clearly have to change our approach.’
Billy Twelvetrees kicked 17 points and his midfield tandem with Cipriani was central to the Cherry and Whites’ attack.
Yet it was Ed Slater, the second row, who scored the first try from a fifth-minute driving lineout, after Cipriani and Jason Woodward cut through the defence.
Northampton were level at the end of the first quarter — Piers Francis’s try backed up by Dan Biggar’s goal kicking — but they quickly lost their grip of the contest.
Cherry and Whites prop Val Rapava Ruskin, meanwhile, flourished with his ball carrying, interceptions and scrummaging.
‘Val was exceptional,’ said Gloucester coach Johan Ackermann. ‘ He showed his class. If the whole game is about scrummaging, he would love it!’
In the 35th minute, Ruskin provided the platform from an attacking scrum, before Cipriani floated his wonder pass to Charlie Sharples for Gloucester’s second try.
The hosts had to weather a cheap sin- bin period for Slater before Cipriani cut out three defenders with one moment of brilliance.
‘It was great skill out there,’ said centre Henry Trinder. ‘He doesn’t force things, he doesn’t throw Hail Mary passes. Everything is calculated. Obviously he has a lot of history and people have their “ifs” and “buts” about him but he has come in here and given 100 per cent.’
Gloucester had Tom Hudson sin-binned in the second half, with Northampton taking advantage as Courtney Lawes scored from a driving maul. But that was the extent of their comeback.
Fittingly, the moment arrived for Cipriani to kick the ball dead with the final play, sending it high over his new fans in the Shed.