The dishevelled look on Danny Cipriani’s face said it all. Arguably the most gifted England rugby union player of his generation was ushered away from Jersey magistrates court shortly after 10am facing the reality that reputations can take years to restore, minutes to rip apart. All the hard work to win his first England start for 10 years – just a couple of months ago – lay quite possibly in tatters.
Oh Danny boy. It was the headline that greeted a wonderful England debut a decade ago and the sighing refrain uttered by even his most ardent supporters as news of Cipriani’s most recent misdemeanour emerged on Wednesday. His ability to command unwanted headlines, to follow a step forward with two back, is matched only by his undeniable talent. The timing of his arrest and subsequent fine for assault and resisting arrest could hardly have been worse considering he has not even yet played for Gloucester, his new club.
Written by Gerard Meagher
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/16/danny-cipriani-england-coach-eddie-jones-world-cup under the title “Cipriani’s off night proves costly but England coach’s ambition may yet save him | Gerard Meagher”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
