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Danny Cipriani breaks his silence over England World Cup selection snub
By Liam Heagney
Danny Cipriani has broken his silence about his England World Cup squad omission, claiming he has no axe to grind over the decision taken by Eddie Jones not to pick him for Japan 2019.
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The Premiership player of the year had been picked in Jones’ first two training squads in July but was then omitted and his absence from the list of 31 names announced last Monday for the finals came as no surprise to him while he holidayed in the United States.
In a column for the UK Telegraph newspaper, the maverick out-half, who was overlooked for the 2011 finals by Martin Johnson and again in 2015 by Stuart Lancaster, wrote: “I would have loved to be involved in England’s World Cup squad. It has been a seven-year goal with different challenges along the way.
“But I can’t be disappointed because there was honestly no expectation from my side. It was never my right. I never thought: ‘Last season went pretty well, I should be picked’.
“All in all, I had two weeks in camp, then a week on my own with my sprint coach Margot Wells after being told I needed the extra conditioning. Then there was one final training session with game-based drills on the Friday, led by Eddie Jones.
Exclusive @DannyCipriani87 column: England World Cup squad was my seven-year goal but I don't need sympathy – I will again prove my resilience #RWC19 https://t.co/2WnrFEMCQd pic.twitter.com/CdMdbp5qHI
— Telegraph Rugby (@TelegraphRugby) August 16, 2019
“Afterwards, later that afternoon on my way back down to Cheltenham, he rang to say I would not be going out to Italy. Three days later, on the following Monday, I flew to Los Angeles and I have been here since.”
Cipriani added that there has been no contact since from Jones on whether he is on the replacements list should Owen Farrell or George Ford, England’s chosen two out-halves, suffer a tournament-ruining injury.
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“For me, right now, all I can focus on is how I can become better for my experience with England, and not just as a rugby player – as a leader and as a person, too.
“Eddie has said that everyone needs to be ready and the best way to do that is for me to be the best version of myself at Gloucester. I have not been told where I am in the England pecking order, but if the stars align and the call does come at any point, I’ll be ready. I felt ready seven years ago.”
WATCH: Eddie Jones speaks at last Monday’s England World Cup squad announcement
