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Cipriani slated after swapping Kingsholm poor showing for X Factor audience

Danny Cipriani

Gloucester flyhalf Danny Cipriani is being slated online after driving away from a mediocre performance at Kingsholm to make an appearance in the audience on X Factor.

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In the first Saracens match since the conclusion of an independent panel’s salary cap investigation, Gloucester failed to fire till late in the second half, ultimately falling to a 12 -21 home defeat.

Cipriani – who has been in fine form for the Cherry and Whites since signing in 2018 – was singled out online for what many felt was a pretty ordinary performance.

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However, the criticism intensified when the former England playmaker was spotted in the audience of the X Factor. The 32-year-old was filmed cheering on rugby themed trio ‘Try Star’ on the popular ITV show, just three hours after Saracens stuffed Gloucester.

The X Factor: Celebrity is an alternative format of the popular British reality show X Factor. Rugby stars Ben Foden, Thom Evans and Levi Davis all feature as a rugby trio on the talent contest.

Many users on social media questioned whether Danny Cipriani was fully focused on the match against Saracens. He would have had to have left Kingsholm stadium almost immediately after the match if he was to make the live shows for the X-Factor.

Twitter didn’t hold back:

https://twitter.com/LiamGardner78/status/1193270875103072256
https://twitter.com/philseyers/status/1193453943373873152
https://twitter.com/Lewis63Mark/status/1193453929146789894
https://twitter.com/Steve_5881/status/1193265528107864065

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Gloucester take on Toulouse next weekend in the Champions Cup in a game where Cipriani will almost certainly feature at 10 for the men in cherry and white.

The former Wasps 10 who,  joined the club last summer, was originally contracted until the end of the 2019-20 season. However, a new contract will mean that the England international fly-half will remain with Gloucester Rugby on a long-term basis.
The 31-year-old enjoyed a stunning first season at Kingsholm. From his very first competitive appearance when he threw an eye-catching scoring pass to Charlie Sharples, Cipriani has lit up the Gallagher Premiership with a host of fine performances and was named Player of the Month last September.
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G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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