Cipriani Summer Sale to Young Wasps

Danny Cipriani will leave Sale Sharks and return to his first club Wasps this summer. The 28-year-old had a season left to run on his existing Sale deal, but has chosen to exercise a break clause and return to Wasps, where he made his name, on a two-year contract.

Cipriani left Wasps for the Australian Super Rugby franchise Melbourne Rebels in 2011, but returned to England to join Sale a year later.

The 14-cap England fly-half rejected triple European champions Toulon to sign a contract extension at Sale in February 2015, but will now leave the club a year early this summer

“I’m excited about returning to Wasps next season. It really does feel like coming home,” said Cipriani. “In the professional era, players naturally move clubs more frequently than they used to, but I still feel such a strong connection with Wasps.

“It’s where I learned my trade, alongside incredible players like Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley, Alex King, Fraser Waters, Josh Lewsey and Paul Sackey. I have such good memories of that period in my life, I feel much more equipped to handle and deal with the expectation that comes when you put on the black and gold jersey

“I feel next season will be the right time for a new challenge, at a club which in my heart will always feel like a second home, where I know I will settle quickly.”

Cipriani broke through at Wasps in 2006 after impressing at England age-grade level, only to court controversy. The England head coach Brian Ashton dropped Cipriani two days before his Test debut in the 2008 Six Nations, after the then 20-year-old was spotted in a nightclub. He eventually made his Test bow later in that campaign.

Though he recovered from a nasty fracture-dislocation of his right ankle to regain his Test spot in the autumn of 2008, he then slipped out of the England picture for six years. A string of disciplinary run-ins and his move to Melbourne left Cipriani out of the Test picture, before he set about rebuilding his reputation at Sale.

Despite being hit by a bus on a night out in Leeds in April 2013, Cipriani was able to fulfil his ambition of returning to England colours. 

Stuart Lancaster took Cipriani on the summer tour to New Zealand in 2014, with the Sale star pushing hard for a regular berth. He featured in the 2015 Six Nations and World Cup warm-up matches, but was omitted from England’s final squad for the autumn’s global showdown.

Wasps won two Heineken Cups, Cipriani featuring in the 2007 European triumph, before the club slipped close to administration. The owner Derek Richardson has guided Wasps to financial security through the Coventry switch, however, leaving Cipriani impressed.

“It’s brilliant to see how the club has rebuilt over the past couple of seasons,” said the fly-half. “The potential of the squad that Dai [Young] has developed is really exciting and I have been impressed by the ambition Wasps have shown since Derek Richardson took over and stabilised things.

“I’m really looking forward to playing alongside guys I started my career with, like James Haskell, Joe Simpson, Christian Wade and Elliot Daly, in a squad that loves to play attacking, expansive rugby.”

Young said he was delighted to be able to bring Cipriani back to Wasps. “We have always been keen for Danny to return to Wasps; everyone knows how talented a player he is and how much his game has developed since he made such an impact for England at a young age.

“As well as his obvious attacking attributes, Danny has matured as a player and controls the game well as a 10.”

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Schmidt Ineligible for Lions Role

Joe Schmidt will not be in charge of the British and Irish Lions for their trip to his native New Zealand next year.

Speaking at the official launch of the RBS Six Nations in London, the Kiwi revealed that his contract with the IRFU, which expires in 2017, does not allow him to take up the role.

"The Lions doesn’t enter my mind. We are a week to week team and that’s a long time away. It’s not something I think about," he said.

"We’re about being the best we can be. That’s our full focus for players and coaches. The Lions is actually a moot point. It’s not something I can do unless the terms of my contract change.

"There are some outside influences on that which would dictate things. I don’t plan on beyond my current contract. Sometimes as a coach you don’t get beyond your current contract."

Schmidt was viewed as the main rival to Warren Gatland for the position.

Gatland, the Wales coach who oversaw the Lions' 2-1 Test series victory against Australia in 2013, is almost certain to head up the shortlist for the coach's job.

The Lions board are to draw up a shortlist at the end of the home unions' summer tours this year, with an appointment expected by the end of August or early September.

The Lions board hope that the head coach will take up his appointment with immediate effect, although they are open to some flexibility that could involve the coach retaining some involvement with their national side during the autumn Test series, as Gatland did in 2012.

Meanwhile, Schmidt revealed that Jonathan Sexton will be fit and available for Ireland's Six Nations opener against Wales on February 7 despite suffering a head injury in the 51-10 defeat to Wasps last weekend.

"Johnny trained really well yesterday. He has passed all the protocols. It was this time last year where he had the problem and took a break," he added.

"Since then he’s had no head injuries so as far as we and he are concerned he’s ready to go. I’m always concerned. We treat head injuries with the respect they deserve.

"They identified Johnny needed a rest and that’s to our advantage really. All we can do is go on the best medical decision we have. When they give him the all clear we have trust in him.

"They’re the experts and if people question that it’s a disappointment. No one is going to have the same opinion but you get the best qualified people to make the assessment. He trained really well yesterday. There was no contact apart from with the wind which pretty much blew everyone over."

On the challenge that Wales will present on February 7, Schmidt said: "I’m only a spectator in the Wales environment but I thought they did well in the World Cup. Who would have thought that against England Wales would pick themselves up off the floor to win.

"They’re the squad with the biggest continuity and experience. They have over 1100 caps and they’ve very tough. They were the biggest team at the World Cup so they have that physical dominance they can impact on teams.

"I don’t think people could not have been impressed by Dan Biggar at the World Cup. Gareth Davies was brilliant too and that doesn’t count the other experienced players. I don’t count experience. I’m not giving an opinion on who is favourite or not. I’m just talking about Wales and facts about them. They’re an incredibly tough team.

"I was talking to Sam Warburton this morning and this is his fifth time here. We don’t talk about what our chances are or what Wales’ chances are."

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Saracens Secure Bonus Against Ulster

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Saracens secured a home quarter-final in the Champions Cup with a round of matches still to go following another hugely impressive performance with a thoroughly deserved bonus-point victory at Allianz Park.

Ulster threatened briefly to cause an upset, enjoying an excellent 20-minute spell in the first half, but a failure to take chances, a massively debilitating penalty count, an at-times misfiring set piece proved too big a millstone.

Jared Payne made an eye catching return after almost three months out injured, demonstrating his superb footballing qualities. Stuart McCloskey was good at times but the majority of the stand-out players belonged to the home side with Owen Farrell despite an off-day with his boot (five from nine place-kicks) controlling the game intelligently.

The Saracens pack, all contributing handsomely, dominated their opponents in the tight and once they sorted out the breakdown in most facets of the game. The bench gave them even more momentum.

Ulster didn’t get the losing bonus point they craved but if they can get one next week at home to Oyonnax, then the knock-out stages are still on.

Saracens made a late change to their starting line-up, losing captain and England centre Brad Barritt to injury with hooker Jamie George leading the side in his teammate’s absence. Nick Tompkins came into the replacements.

Ulster will have been disappointed at the interval following such a brilliant start, the old adage about taking opportunities particularly apposite, as Paddy Jackson shoved a 23-metre penalty wide of the far upright and then from a five metre lineout, an underthrow from captain Rory Best gave Robbie Diack little chance of securing possession.

In fairness to the flanker he had a justifiable complaint that Michael Rhodes grabbed one of his arms while he was in the air and the visitors could reasonably have been awarded a penalty. In not taking those chances, they allowed Saracens to muster a second wind, and they finished the half very strongly when number eight Billy Vunipola was driven over from a close-in lineout maul.

The Irish province will also rue fragility in the set piece, three turnovers at the lineout and a couple of scrum penalties, the second of which saw Wiehahn Herbst, the transgressor, helped from the field with a leg injury.

Owen Farrell drove Ulster back deep into the visitors’ 22, replacement Ricky Lutton was penalised for collapsing the first maul but after going to the corner again the home side survived Ulster’s initial shunt in the maul, to regroup and force their way over. Farrell’s touchline conversion have Saracens a 13-7 halftime lead.

The England outhalf won’t have been happy with only kicking three out of five from the tee during those opening 40-minutes, missing two penalty chances. He did kick an early penalty before Ulster responded with a gorgeous try.

Jackson identified a six-on three overlap out wide, the excellent Stuart McCloskey made a 35-metre break and although Ulster were thwarted in the opposite corner, they moved the ball wide again and the returning Jared Payne, produced a beautifully weighted grubber-kick that Luke Marshall ran onto to touch down. Jackson’s conversion from the touchline was exquisitely struck.

Farrell missed a couple of penalties and although Saracens dominated territorially, Ulster snaffled three turnovers at the breakdown, to relieve the pressure at various stages of the half. Best’s decision to go to the corner from a 12-metre penalty was underlined by the throw, and ultimately a turnover. Jackson missed a penalty and then the momentum shifted again.

Farrell’s penalty and Billy Vunipola’s try ensured that the home side’s dressing room was the happier. Ulster coach Les Kiss will have impressed upon his charges the need for improved discipline, sharper line speed and the need to be more accurate in the set piece.

McCloskey was getting Ulster over the gain-line and Craig Gilroy and Payne, offered glimpses that they were capable of causing Saracens problems. The visitors refused to be cowed by their set piece issues prior to the interval, with Jackson nudging a penalty into the corner four minutes after the re-start. On foot of a penalty advantage, the Ulster outhalf went for a cross-kick, but when play was called back bisected the posts from the tee.

At 13-10 Ulster were back in the contest but again their discipline let them down, Lutton penalised at a ruck; Farrell made no mistake from long range, facilitated by an upright. The visitors conceded another penalty soon after the re-start that gave Saracens field position once again and after battering away for 90 seconds on the threshold of the Ulster 22, Farrell made a decisive intervention.

The England outhalf dummied a pass, glided outside Robbie Diack, and concluded his angled run with a try scoring pass for Duncan Taylor; the only disappointment that he couldn’t tag on the conversion. Saracens had made a definitive break on the scoreboard at 21-10.

The English club confirmed at much on 58-minutes when secondrow Maro Itoje, one of eight Saracens players called into the England squad, squeezed over from a metre, after the home side had splintered Ulster’s resistance, driving a lineout maul 25-metres.

Farrell missed the conversion but Ulster’s day got appreciably worse when first Gilroy received a yellow card - accumulation of penalties conceded - and then replacement hooker Schalk Britz profited from his foot-speed and brittle defence to score his side’s bonus point, fourth try. As both sides emptied the bench, the only matter to be settled was the final margin on the scoreboard.

Replacement Ian Humphreys showed decent stamina to intercept a pass and run 70-metres to score under the posts, converting his lung bursting sally but unfortunately it was mere window dressing.

Scoring sequence

2 mins: Farrell penalty, 3-0; 4: Marshall try, Jackson conversion, 3-7; 19: Farrell penalty, 6-7; 36: B Vunipola try, Farrell conversion, 13-7. Halftime: 13-7. 44: Jackson penalty, 13-10; 48: Farrell penalty, 16-10; 52: Taylor try, 21-10; 58: Itoje try, 26-10; 62: Britz try, Farrell conversion, 33-10; 70: Humphreys try, Humphreys conversion, 33-17;

Saracens: 

B Ransom; C Ashton, M Bosch, D Taylor, C Wyles; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; M Vunipolo, J George (capt), P Du Plessis; M Itoje, G Kruis; M Rhodes, W Frazer, B Vunipola.

Replacements: S Brits for George 55 mins; J Figallo for Du Plessis 55 mins; N de Kock for Wigglesworth 63 mins; J Wray for Fraser 63 mins; N Tompkins for Bosch 71 mins.

Ulster:

J Payne; A Trimble, L Marshall, S McCloskey, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; K McCall, R Best (capt), W Herbst; A O’Connor, F van der Merwe; R Diack, S Reidy, R Wilson.

Replacements: R Lutton for Herbst 35 mins; R Herring for Best 61 mins; I Humphreys for Jackson 61 mins; C Ross for van der Merwe 66 mins; R Scholes for Marshall 71 mins; L stevenson for O’Connor 75 mins; C Black for McCall 75 mins; P Marshall for Pienaar 75 mins.

Referee: J Garces (Fra)

Yellow card: C Gilroy (Ulster) 61 minutes

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