Cipriani proves he's big-game player after battering Barbarians

Duncan Bech 08:57 01/06/2015
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  • Cipriani was the star performer for England XV.

    Stuart Lancaster noted Danny Cipriani’s transformation into a big-game player after watching the Sale fly-half orchestrate England’s 73-12 demolition of the Barbarians.

    Cipriani plundered two tries, completed all 10 conversions and kicked a penalty to finish with a 33-point haul in a flawless afternoon that improved his chances of making the final World Cup squad.

    The 27-year-old finished the non-cap international at Twickenham at full-back and produced a classy finish to score the final try of the match.

    “Danny was good and is a good enough player to apply to the shape and organisation we’re trying to create in attack,” head coach Lancaster said. “To kick 11 out of 11 is excellent. He has learned a lot about discipline from Sale this year, so he has been a lot more controlled and composed in games.

    “He understands the mechanics of what it takes to win big games because I’ve seen him do it for Sale, so he has definitely improved through the course of the season.

    “He played a lot at full-back four or five years ago and that versatility is certainly something we would consider further down the line as we get towards naming our World Cup squad, but it is a competitive position fly-half, as is full-back.”

    Christian Wade also served notice to Lancaster after being left out of his World Cup training squad, with a hat-trick.

    Virtually from the start wave after wave of white jerseys queued up to cross their rivals line, and doing so with considerable ease to the dismay of Barbarians coach Robbie Deans.

    The Barbarians’ previous biggest loss was 59-8 to the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong in 2013. It was also England’s biggest points tally against their rivals and Cipriani’s 33 points set a new individual points record for an opposing player.

    Lancaster was certainly smiling for the first time at the end of a fairly disruptive and difficult few weeks which have seen him needing to reassess his training squad plans due to player suspensions.

    “It was hard to pick 50 for the training camp and even tougher to eventually get it down to 31 by the end of August,” said Lancaster.

    “A lot of the boys have enhanced their prospects with the way they have handled themselves this week.

    “Christian Wade took his chance well. He is electric in open field and he is so difficult to stop when he gets going.”

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