Daniel Cann

The 22 year old fly half has won seven England caps but stresses he feels that England Manager Martin Johnson has overlooked him lately only being selected for the second-string England Saxons team. The move to Australia he says is to improve his game and learn from the players down there.

Despite being one of the country’s brightest rugby talents with his creativity, flair and sure-footed kicking he has not appeared on the England international radar, which he has openly admitted, he finds frustrating and depressing. Since Johnson’s tenure in charge he has not appeared in one single game wearing the England jersey. ‘I have been given no indication that I am pushing for a place with England at the moment, so it is up to me to ensure I am in contention in the future by challenging myself in new realms.’ Cipriani has said.

He further commented ‘Leaving Wasps is very hard. This is my home; I have played here since I was 15. I see this move as the next step in my career and would never rule out coming back to play in England.’

Now, I find this all very interesting with many possible ramifications for English rugby in the future. To the casual observer it could all appear like a minor storm in a teacup but I feel this goes a lot deeper.

Martin Johnson undoubtedly one of the greatest if not the greatest England Captain has always been an inspiring figure and presence on the pitch. Off the pitch and in his role as England Manager he has so far produced a string of uninspiring and mixed results and performances from an England squad that still seems to lack cohesion.

I am not here to bash Johnson who I admire greatly. I still feel that things can be rectified, hurdles overcome and that a new improved England side can emerge under his stewardship. Some of the vitriol that has been poured on him by his contemporaries has seemed a little harsh and unnecessary. However, he really does need to pull something special out of the bag in this current Six Nations tournament.

I think people have forgiven him the woeful performances by England last autumn against Argentina, New Zealand and Australia. Those same people and the general public will be far less forgiving if in a month’s time England has had a poor Six Nations as well. Our performances so far have gone from the encouraging: Our win against Wales at Twickenham seeing two tries from James Haskell and a general confidence and calm in the face of a strong fight back from the fancied Wales.

To the downright terrible: Jonny Wilkinson who is normally as reliable as the North star missing three kicks against Italy, a leaky defence and the genuine and totally unacceptable possibility of an Italy win later in the game. When the score line reached 14-12 I confess to feeling butterflies in my stomach and being truly exasperated with my countrymen. When Italy were down to fourteen men for ten minutes we did not capitalize on that at all, making no inroads whatsoever.

A drop goal by Wilkinson in the closing stages (a rare occasion where he did not miss!) ultimately saved England from a potentially devastating loss. It was plain embarrassing with no disrespect to the Italians who were a vastly improved side to the one that so meekly laid down for Ireland the weekend before (admittedly in the intimidating atmosphere of Croke Park against the tournaments second favorites).

What really amazed me was the post match interview with Captain Steve Borthwick. He seemed to come away from the game with the impression that England had played a stormer! He praised his teammates for their individual breaks and sounded either totally deluded, brainwashed or both! I don’t know what game he saw but it was not the one I or the other millions at home saw. Borthwick has often been labeled a Johnson stooge and I’m afraid he did come across as a ‘clone’ reading from a careful script. I don’t know, maybe I’m being too critical here.

The bottom line is that the England that so impressed against the Welsh looked woeful, rattled and disorganized against the Italians. To see a player of Wilkinson’s caliber repeatedly missing was a shocking, depressing sight. Again, the BBC commentary team accused Johnson of being ‘too loyal’ to his old England teammates. Read into that what you will.

Which brings me back neatly to Danny Cipriani. It may look to some that the headstrong young fly half has committed career suicide by moving to Australia. Some have accused him of spitting out his dummy, having a major sulk. I see things a little differently. This could turn out to be the best thing that has happened to him. Just hear me out.

Under the current Johnson regime it really does look like there is no way back for an individualistic player and personality such as Cipriani. I admit I hate it when special concessions have to be made for one individual. It is a team sport and a team effort after all. But, and this is a big but, a talent like Cipriani’s should be nurtured and developed. In the seven caps he has won he has had mixed fortunes with injury clearly affecting his performance, but in one game I can remember he was sublime. His kicking controlled and dominated the entire game; he did not put a proverbial foot wrong for the entire 80 minutes. Now I know to earn the jersey you have to be consistent, but here is a young player with time on his side and he should be allowed to develop and improve at the top level.

He may not manage that if he stays in this country so I believe his move to Australia and new club Melbourne Rebels is far from a misguided sulk, but rather a great opportunity for him to get more seasoning playing alongside top Antipodean Southern Hemisphere players, learning their game and way of doing things. Didn’t Martin Johnson learn a lot early in his career when he lived and played in New Zealand? This is no different.

With still about eighteen months before the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 there is time. If Johnson’s current team doesn’t show signs of improvement I doubt very much that he will be allowed to stay as Manager. He simply has to improve on his current performances. We don’t want or need intimidated brainwashed clones. We deserve an organized, disciplined, cohesive pack that seldom concede penalties and do not make basic handling errors. We need and deserve a fly half that acts as a talisman, a free ‘get out of jail’ card if you will.

I admire Jonny Wilkinson and believe without him we could never say of England ‘Former World Cup winners’ but on his recent showing and with a catalogue of injuries behind him he is not getting any younger. He cannot improve (as he has already peaked) and despite recapturing terrific form at Marseilles he is perhaps beginning to show signs of inevitable decline. Believe me I would love to be eating large helpings of humble pie after next weekends match against Ireland, but on current form I have to favour the team from the Emerald Isle. That is in the short term, in the long term can we envisage with total confidence Wilkinson playing internationally in late 2011? I am not so sure. He might be but who knows.

So for now I wish Martin Johnson luck in creating and developing a better England side and I hope that Wilkinson’s misses were more to do with playing with a different type of ball to what he is used to and not the onset of decline. I also wish young Danny Cipriani all the best as well. Take this opportunity to further learn your craft. Don’t get bitter, get even! Make such a strong case for yourself that you cannot be avoided or overlooked for international selection. Let public demand force the England selectors hand.

Time will tell if these events will have any bearing on the future of England International rugby union. I for one will be watching things unfold with added interest.

(With my sincere apologies for non-England rugby union supporting readers!)