Farrell out to ruin his idol’s day
Saracens Gloucester Allianz Park, 1.30pm
v 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 today stands between Cipriani and a showpiece return to the home of rugby as their sides battle for a Gallagher Premiership final spot against Exeter or Northampton.
Gloucester’s maverick fly-half Cipriani has cleaned up in awards season, becoming only the second man to be named player of the year both by the Premiership and his fellow professionals.
But he would give that up in a heartbeat for semi-final victory in London over the reigning English and European champions today.
“When you look back on your career it’s nice to know that happened in that one year,” Cipriani said. “But you’d trade it all in to get a win this weekend.”
For the ninth time this season England coach
Eddie Jones will travel to watch him - yet the Australian has not picked him since last summer when he started alongside Farrell in Cape Town.
But Cipriani said of his rival: “I get on really 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: “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.”