Danny Cipriani has become the latest former England star to weigh in with criticism of Eddie Jones, insisting he felt the Australian refused to select him at Test level because he “couldn’t be bullied” by Jones.
Cipriani will return to a rugby field this weekend when he takes part in the inaugural 745 Game, a cross-code hybrid match featuring some of rugby union and league’s biggest names to raise money for those living with motor neurone disease. The event, which will be held at Headingley, was devised by Rob Burrow and Ed Slater before the former died earlier this year.
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Cipriani insists supporting Slater is the only way he would ever consider putting his rugby boots on again, with the fly-half now retired and living in America. The 37-year-old, arguably the brightest attacking talent of his generation, was capped only twice by Jones and was overlooked for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
He said he was not surprised to see recent criticism of the Australian from another former teammate of his, Danny Care, given his own personal experiences of working with Jones. He said: “My experiences with Eddie are that he probably felt I would stand up to him too much and he didn’t feel like he could bully me so he didn’t bring me into the environment.
“With Eddie, you guys saw how he spoke to you and the media. I’m not here to bash Eddie as an individual but he’s not someone I’d want to lead my country because of the way he carries himself.
“I don’t think he’s happy with the way he’s behaving, I think it’s all he knows, so I have compassion for him too. I found Eddie difficult in that sense, because I was turning water to wine one season, and he didn’t even pick me – so it was mad.”
Cipriani will be one of the stars of the 745 Game on Sunday, which will feature a unique cross-code set of rules and is expected to raise thousands to support those living with MND. He believes the match will “go down in history” and says the call from his former Gloucester teammate Slater was the only thing that convinced him to play again.
“I’m more than fit enough to play professional rugby right now,” Cipriani said. “But there’s nobody who could pay me enough money to do it because of all the squabbling that goes with it. The only reason I’d put my boots on was for Ed, to come back and play on a day which will go down in history.
“I’ve always wanted to play a rugby league game and I’m getting to do a bit of both this week. But to represent Ed, Rob and Doddie [Weir], three men who have put their hearts out there for everyone, is amazing.”
