One of English rugby’s most eagerly awaited comebacks in recent years is expected tomorrow after Wasps named Danny Cipriani in their starting line-up against Bath for their Guiness Premiership clash.
Exactly how Wasps and England rugby fans have come to invest so much hope in the 20-year-old - who was last seen being stretchered off with a fractured and dislocated right ankle only four-and-a-half months ago – is hard to explain.
Anyone who saw Cipriani’s first start for England against Ireland in the Six Nations will have a fair idea as to why there is so much hype surrounding the boy but it still seems harsh to put so much pressure on one so young.
The fact is Cipriani is a shining light of creativity during a period where England sides have repeatedly lacked spark and invention in the back division and this boy wonder is the best hope we have of turning around our fortunes in the international game.
It may sound harsh on one Jonny Wilkinson, who is after all Enlgland’s all time leading points scorer and - lest we forget - our World Cup hero, but if the side is to move forward it must be with Cipriani in the number 10 jersey.
I have the utmost respect for Wilkinson and I believe there have been few better of his type of fly half to have played the game.
He will kick his goals and tackle his heart out for the side all day long but the plain truth is he does not have the creative ability or vision of Cipriani.
In his unrivalled self-deprecating manner, Wilkinson has often hinted and occasionally admitted openly that he knows his game at times lacks that extra dimension.
It was fine when we had a dominant rumbling pack and the under-estimated creativity of Will Greenwood in midfield, but this England team is calling for a spark from number 10 and there is only one man to provide that.
It is a cruel fact that in rugby - as with many aspects of life – it is not always just about how hard you work, some people are just born with an uncoachable ability.
Some people (like myself) have to work their rear ends off for exams just to ensure a passing grade, while others do no revision, waltz into the exam hall on the day and get a top mark.
I am not suggesting Cipriani doesn’t work and it is essential he does not let his game stand still, but he has a quality that few English three-quarters – barring maybe Jason Robinson – have had in recent years.
I remember the moment when I first really thought Cipriani was the real deal and had to be in the England starting team sooner rather than later.
It was in a match against Bath a week after Cipriani had come on for his international debut and given away a try with a charged down chip kick.
As if to prove that the previous week’s effort was worth the risk, Cipriani picked the ball up in midfield, dinked it over the Bath line, then burst through a challenge before racing away to score – it was pure genius and the definition of a try out of nothing.
Before we (or I) get too excited though, for a cautionary tale we should look no further than the last naturally talented fly half to pose a realistic challenge to a fit Wilkinson.
Charlie Hodgson may not have Cipriani’s pace and ability to run with the ball but his vision and flair are comparable.
Hodgson, though still imperious on a regular basis for Sale, was soon discovered to be mentally fragile on the international scene and his defence woefully exposed.
He has now been virtually discarded in terms of international selection with the likes of Toby Flood and Olly Barkley – who spend as much time in the number 12 jersey as at fly half – ahead of the Sale man in the pecking order.
Cipriani still has the confidence of youth and his defence hasn’t been seriously tested the way it would on a summer hemisphere tour, let’s just hope he measures up to those tests because he could prove to be the saviour of English back play.
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