Why Danny Cipriani Should Be in England's Six Nations Squad

Danny Cipriani has been English rugby’s unsolvable puzzle for six years now.

He burst on to the scene in 2008 with a season of crackerjack displays for Wasps that guided them all the way to the Premiership title.

He missed the final itself having broken an ankle in Wasps' semi-final, per the Guardian, and from that point the curve of his career began to experience more ups and downs than a Nepalese Sherpa.

Spats with ex-girlfriend Kelly Brook played out in the media, per Metro, average performances for England, exile to Melbourne, disciplinary problems in Australia, a return to the UK, an upturn in form, a drunken confrontation with a bus and a reintegration with, for now, the fringes of Stuart Lancaster’s England setup.

It’s worth remembering he is still only 27.

He seems to have found a calm off the field that eluded him during his time as a Wasp and a Melbourne Rebel, and his displays for Sale since he came back to the Premiership have steadily improved in his two-and-a-half seasons in Manchester.

England’s No. 10 position has, under Lancaster so far, been a straight choice between Owen Farrell and George Ford, with Farrell’s drop in form opening the door for the Bath man to take the reins at the end of the autumn internationals.

Between now and the World Cup it is highly likely the choice will remain between these two, but Cipriani has the chance to state his case as a rival to Farrell for the bench spot if not simply third choice in the party.

Here are four reasons why.

1. He Brings Something Different

If England need a game-breaker late in the match, Cipriani can perform this role from the bench.

At Sale he has big, hard-running men in his midfield to feed, and his natural talent means he is able to time his balls to these men superbly.

Now, substitute those highly effective club players with Manu Tuilagi and, whisper it, Sam Burgess, and imagine what a player of Cipriani’s skill could do for them.

His distribution is equal to George Ford’s and he also likes to go for gaps himself.

Having him on the field in the last 20 minutes will give the opposition an extra headache. They will be left thinking "Will he have a dart or will he use the monsters at his disposal?"

A tired defender isn’t going to want to have to figure that puzzle out.

2. Farrell Now the Odd Man Out?

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If, as expected, George Ford retains his newly acquired status as England’s first choice fly-half for the Six Nations, what do England do with Owen Farrell?

If all the centre options are fit, he isn’t in the conversation for a go at No. 12. So, does he play back-up to Ford?

How much of a different threat would Farrell bring from the bench if England need something out of the box?

One school of thought is that Saracens’ game plan has knocked the creativity out of Farrell, as Steve James of the Telegraph argued when assessing the pair's merits following a recent head-to-head in the Champions Cup:

"

[Farrell] did not show up at all in this respect as Saracens continued their well-known policy of kicking virtually everything in the middle third of the field.

"

Cipriani, in form, may well carry a greater danger to opponents as the second option at No. 10.

3. England’s Pack Is Made for Cipriani

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Sale boss Steve Diamond thinks Cipriani should be back in the England fold

If there is one area England have got right—and seem to continue to be getting better—it’s their forward unit.

Even with Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Joe Launchbury, Tom Croft, Alex Corbisiero and Mako Vunipola all absent this autumn, England’s pack was excellent in every department.

It’s hard to see anyone doing a number on them in the Six Nations, and a player with Cipriani’s vision and pace is an excellent choice to take advantage of all that front-foot ball.

His coach at Sale, Steve Diamond, said as much to the Manchester Evening News, bemoaning Cipriani’s omission from England’s autumn squad:

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I think Danny would have done well given an opportunity and I think its a big opportunity missed for England not to try somebody 12 months out from the World Cup.

'New Zealand, you will notice, played all three of their fly halves in their three major Tests and they know where they stand now going forwards having had a look at their options.

'With the amount of ball in play England are getting with that monstrous pack of forwards they have got I know that Danny could really set the England back line on fire.

"

4. More X-Factor Than Myler

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If England take three fly-halves into the championship, there is little to gain from picking Stephen Myler, because he doesn’t bring anything different to England’s first and second choices.

If anything, he is more limited.

Cipriani may present more of a weakness defensively, but in attack he will always try something rather than play safety first, and as an impact player, that is what Lancaster should be looking for.