England must conduct their preparations for the World Cup burdened by the uncertainty surrounding Danny Cipriani after the Sale flyhalf was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
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Cipriani was unhurt in a collision between his Mercedes and a Toyota in the Chelsea area of west London at 05:15 on Monday morning, just hours after he had produced a man of the match display against the Barbarians at Twickenham.
The 27-year-old was given a breath test and taken to a west London police station before being released on bail. Under the terms of his bail, he must return at an unspecified date in early August when he will either be charged, bailed further or released with no action taken.
England are waiting for the outcome of the police investigation before deciding what action – if any – should be taken. “We are aware of the matter concerning Danny Cipriani. However, it would be inappropriate to comment at this time until all the facts are known,” a spokesperson for the Rugby Football Union said.
Both England and Cipriani are now stuck in limbo, sweating on the result of the police enquiry into the incident as head coach Stuart Lancaster confronts yet another disciplinary headache. England are still three weeks away from beginning their summer training camp, but have already been forced to remove established internationals Dylan Hartley and Manu Tuilagi from their World Cup plans on disciplinary grounds.
If he’s driven drunk he’ll be rightly hammered. Until then let’s retract the kitchen knives and give Cipriani the benefit of the doubt
— David Flatman (@davidflatman) June 2, 2015
Hartley was ejected from the initial 50-man squad for head-butting rival hooker Jamie George on club duty while Tuilagi was punished following his conviction for attacking two female police officers and a taxi driver. Now England and Cipriani face an anxious and lengthy wait to see if there will be another high-profile World Cup casualty and the matter is sure to cast a cloud over tournament preparations, which include a two-week spell at high altitude in Denver.
If Cipriani is found to have transgressed, Lancaster will be compelled to act decisively yet again to honour the hard-line stance on disciplinary issues he has maintained throughout his tenure.
Speaking to the media after finishing with an outstanding 33-point haul in Sunday’s 73-12 victory over the Barbarians, Cipriani insisted the England management had learnt to trust him once more having rebuilt a reputation tarnished by repeated misdemeanours and a celebrity lifestyle.
Only last week, Cipriani described his inclusion in the World Cup training squad as a “dream” and outlined the desire to become a coach. “I want to be a role model and that person who helps develop people,” he said.
