IT’S APPROACHING FIVE months since England last tasted victory, but Eddie Jones has us talking about a different gap today as he handed out-half Danny Cipriani a first Test start in 10 years.
With the series in South Africa lost thanks to England’s fifth consecutive Test defeat (six matches overall including defeat to the Barbarians), the mercurial talent takes a starting role for the first time since the Springboks’ visit to Twickenham in November 2008.
Now 30, Cipriani has stints with Sale and the Melbourne Rebels behind him and has hit impressive form since returning to Wasps two years ago. He ended a three-year gap between caps as a replacement last week and next season he will guide Munster’s Champions Cup pool rivals Gloucester.
With Owen Farrell and Henry Slade at centre, George Ford drops out of the matchday 23 with Jones picking six forwards and two backs for his replacements bench.
“We are expecting a wet and windy old day at Newlands and have elected to play Danny Cipriani ahead of George Ford to give us a left-foot kicking option,” Jones explained today.
As for the pressure he is facing with a team – who came so close to sealing back-to-back Grand Slams – now looking down the barrel of a seventh loss on the bounce, the Australian continued to put a steely smile front and centre this week.
“These are the periods you look forward to where everyone thinks you’re done and you have to find a way to win.
I’m enjoying it, loving it, absolutely loving it. Every job is the same: when you are doing well, everyone pats you on the back. When you are not doing well you’re pulling knives out of your back. That’s the reality of it.
“When everything is running well, it’s easy. You’ve got your team humming, you’re winning games you shouldn’t. You get 50-50 decisions, everyone’s available, you don’t have any injuries. The hard parts are when you’ve got injuries, you’re not getting 50-50 decisions and there’s noise around. That’s where you find your worth and you find which players in your team can really stand up to pressure.”
Jones will hope Cipriani falls into that category in the Cape Town Test, but also the uncapped Exeter Chiefs lock Jonny Hill who joins the replacements with Brad Shields injured.
A fractured arm ended Billy Vunipola’s tour last week, paving the way for Nathan Hughes to start at number eight with former captain Chris Robshaw recalled to the team as blindside.
England (3rd Test v South Africa): Elliot Daly; Jonny May, Henry Slade, Owen Farrell (capt), Mike Brown; Danny Cipriani, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler; Joe Launchbury, Maro Itoje, Chris Robshaw, Tom Curry, Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Alec Hepburn, Harry Williams, Jonny Hill, Mark Wilson, Sam Simmonds, Ben Spencer, Denny Solomona.
Seems harsh regardless of 13. His eyes were on the ball.
@Martin Quinn: I’ve never understood why the jumping player has no duty of care for himself. Also, I believe the term tackler is not accurate as there was no tackle or player in possession.
@Martin Quinn: he is not the tackler, he was going for a high ball which does not constitute a tackle.
Issue here is consistency. Last week that double tackle on the French went unpunished given the lack of intent. Result, double facial fracture for the player. This week, where’s the intent? Possible interference too, clearly accidental. Obviously landing is horrific and we’re all for player welfare but the result is far less severe than what came before. The cancer on the game, Neil Francis aside, is that each week a different referee comes out with his own interpretation and it ruins the game.
did have eyes for ball which is frustrating for french player but still red
It’s a red. Unfortunate yes. But he took him out in the air and he landed on his head.
@David OfBrien: that is one of the things that bothers me, David. Barrett landed on his head, yes, but if he hadn’t would it have been a yellow? There has got to be an objective assessment of a tackle being or not being dangerous without consideration of the outcome. I say this because sometimes referees take the outcome into consideration and sometimes not. Then we end up having long discussions on whether it should have been a red, yellow or no card.
@David OfBrien: looks like he landed on the top of the shoulders to me but looks horrific all the same. Very lucky not to do more damage. You have to admire the bravery of players fielding the ball like that but could there be something more done to protect them?
@David OfBrien: Decisions shouldn’t be based on outcomes. Both jumped for the ball, the rules I think are a bit upfair as they sort of say that if you jump the highest, you have licence to do pretty much anything.
@Olive Barnes: 100% agree. Yes the outcome is bad, he clearly landed on head/neck, but as you say if he landed on his side that would have been a yellow. Referees should be officiating on the nature of the tackle and not the outcome.
@David OfBrien: they both went for the same ball. One player jumped the other stayed on his feet. The player who jumps puts himself into danger.
Completely different if he wasn’t watching the ball.
But in an accidental collision why should the player who’s least injured the penalised.
@Joe Kennedy: what’s on top of your shoulders Joe?haha ya I think it was a red. There was no intent to injure the player, but unfortunately the onus is on the player to make sure the opposition lands safely, and he didn’t. The issue here is that Fall didn’t jump for the ball. If he did, it would have been a fair contest and the contact with Barrett would have been higher on his body, so he wouldn’t have flipped like he did. I don’t know if there is anything that can be done to protect the players more in this case to be honest. Just a risk in the game.
@Olive Barnes: I agree. The tackle on Kearney was a clear spear tackle only Kearney got a shoulder down. Should have also been a red all day long.
Can’t hell but be cynical and wonder what the outcome would have been if the roles were reversed
Ref never seemed to consider the touch by 13 on Fall. It made him stumble slightly hence his timing for the challenge was all wrong. Bastereud should have brought that to the refs attention rather than the “eye on the ball” excuse. Probably still a red but the French must feel very hard done by. Can see a few scraps before this finishes.
Every 50/50 decision in this game has gone the way of new Zealand. Letter of
@s mc: Blame the ref not the players
@Andrew Goodman: Don’t see where he blamed the players. He made an observation. Kiwi fan feeling persecuted even when its an observation on them receiving the rub of the green!
Fall is pushed by NZ no.13 in under Barrett. (In the 2 seconds before this video) Surely this needs to be taken into account.
It is also clear that something needs to change about the rules…accidental stuff like this ruins a game. Don’t know what the answer is, but it is ruining games.
Jeez that’s awful harsh. I know player safety is at a premium now but how can you blame him for the way he ended up.
It was a red. But after last week they were robbed.
Seems to be one rule for nz and one for the rest. Also try after was forward.
@Shougeki: lies
Might seem harsh if you’re a French fan but it’s the right call by the ref. Players need to be protected in the air.
@Jim Demps: sorta agree , but this is leading to players jumping early and catching the ball in an unnatural position where they are already leaning backwards as they know that first in the air will get the refs call.
@Jg Igoe: perhaps but the rules are there for the players safety. If you get a chance go back and have a look at warburtons tackle against France in the wc that he got a red card for. At the time there were huge arguements whether it warranted a red or not. On viewing it with today’s eyes it’s a shocking tackle and the game is better off for having stamped it out.
@Jim Demps: agree on your general point but I do think the nudge from Lienert Brown means it should’ve been a yellow
Harsh red card.
After the mugging France got from the ref last week no one wanted to see this. But it was a fair call. Refs have to do what they can to protect players. That could have been a serious injury
France have a bit of pride and spirit now.. Something they have not had in a good few years
The rule should be red if intentional
Only way to stop this is players cannot jump to catch the ball. Tough I know but it’s all about player safety
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