England suffer fresh blow before New Zealand tour with George Ford ruled out ...

From pariah to pole position, it is a remarkable turnaround. A year ago,

Cipriani was in AE in Leeds after colliding with a bus during a

pub-crawl stag night.

In a fortnight he will have to contend with yet more alarmingly large,

fast-moving traffic heading his way.

He will need more than a fancy-dress outfit and a few shots to contend with

Ma’a Nonu, the New Zealand centre who is more juggernaut than trolley bus.

Cipriani might end up with cuts and bruises again, although the 26-year-old

would willingly contribute that to the cause if England were to give him the

nod.

Defence is not the strongest aspect of Cipriani’s game but his resolve has

hardened, as has his technique.

Cipriani has earned his England reprieve through his own fine endeavours for

Sale, helping the Cheshire club to a qualify for Europe in sixth position,

as well as through the rotten luck that has deprived Stuart Lancaster of

three fly-halves for the series opener at Eden Park – Farrell, of Saracens,

and Northampton’s Stephen Myler, both of whom are involved in the Aviva

Premiership final on May 31, and now Ford. Farrell and Myler will be

available for the two remaining Tests.

There is a long-shot permutation that might see Billy Twelvetrees, the

Gloucester centre, switch infield to No10, a position he has filled with

aplomb this season for his club after Burns’s form tailed off badly.

Twelvetrees, though, is battling to overcome an ankle injury to make the plane

that departs for New Zealand next Tuesday.

Burns is far more familiar with the England playbook than Cipriani is, in

attack as well as in defence. That may well be the tipping point, although

there is little doubt that Cipriani has been in better fettle.

Lancaster shrugged off the suggestion last week that including Cipriani in the

initial 20-man training squad was a gamble.

“It is not a risk, it is an opportunity,” said Lancaster, who has had lengthy

experience of Cipriani from his days as head coach of England’s

second-string, the Saxons.

There is no doubt that Cipriani has knuckled down, that he is more in the

groove than once he was.

He was a maverick, on and off the field, and drove Martin Johnson, the former

England manager, to despair.

Cipriani admits that he had to grow up and that maturity has been reflected in

his game.

Certainly, Steve Diamond, the Sale director of rugby, is not one to tolerate

gadflies. Lancaster has set great store on Diamond’s appraisal of his man

Cipriani has trained well with England over the past few days and is all too

aware that his every move is being monitored.

Even Lancaster admitted that the one-to-one talks he has with players might be

“a bit longer” with Cipriani than with anyone else.

Lancaster is without 24 players for the first Test through injury,

unavailability and fitness and rehabilitation issues.

It is terrible misfortune for Ford, who won his first caps from the bench

during the Six

Nations and has been in terrific form for his club, scoring a

wonderful 45-metre solo try against Harlequins only to end up not only on

the losing side but also with a troublesome shoulder.

He might, at a push, have deferred the operation until after the first Test

but it would have been remiss of England to have played fast and loose with

a player’s long-term health. They have made the right decision.

Lancaster still has to endure three more matches – two European finals and the

play-off before the advance party fly out.

The England head coach ought to be able to prepare with relish for such a

historic trip (England have never played a three-Test series in New

Zealand).

Instead, he has the worry beads at his side night and day.

Danny’s highs and lows

Feb 2008: Makes England debut

March 2008: Pictured leaving a nightclub, dropped by England

May 2008: Breaks ankle

Sept 2008: Dates model Kelly Brook, media interest in him intensifies

Oct 2008: Involved in alleged bust-up with team-mate Josh Lewsey

2009: Ignored by England as commitment is questioned

Jan 2011: Joins Melbourne Rebels after splitting with Brook

Sept 2012: Makes debut for Sale

April 2013: Hit by a bus while on a pub crawl in Leeds

May 2014: Recalled by England after his 193-point season for Sale

England suffer fresh blow before New Zealand tour with George Ford ruled out ...