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Eddie Jones is set to have the final say regarding Danny Cipriani’s England future after it emerged that the Rugby Football Union is not planning disciplinary action against the fly-half.
Cipriani’s England career was placed in doubt on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to common assault and resisting arrest following an incident at a nightclub in Jersey during Gloucester’s pre-season tour. He was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £250 in compensation to a police officer after she was left with a bruised arm and marks on her chin and neck.
Danny Cipriani fined £2,000 after admitting assault in Jersey
Shortly after the hearing at Jersey magistrates court Cipriani’s club, Gloucester, promised a “robust and balanced” disciplinary investigation. The RFU has declined to comment publicly but it is understood the union is content to let Gloucester’s investigation run its course rather than intervene at this stage. It is believed Gloucester’s most likely course of action will be a further fine after the club also pledged their “full support” for their marquee summer signing.
Assuming the RFU does not feel the need to intervene when Gloucester have concluded their disciplinary process, all selection matters are left up to Jones and he will ultimately decide whether Cipriani’s latest brush with the law warrants another exile from the England set-up when selecting his squad for the September training camp.
There can be little doubt that Jones will be unimpressed by Cipriani’s actions but he did hand the 30‑year‑old fly-half his first England start in 10 years on the summer tour of South Africa – after calling him up for the first time – and he is his incumbent fly-half. His recall came with a warning from Jones about his future behaviour, however. “If he’s on the front page for any other reason [other than rugby], he won’t be with us,” said Jones, who is on a coaching trip in Japan.
Gloucester were due to travel on Thursday night from Jersey to Belfast for a pre‑season fixture against Ulster and Cipriani was set to travel with the squad. It is understood he will not be involved in the match, however.
He issued an apology on Thursday afternoon on Twitter in which he admitted arguing with a bouncer and pulling his tie, which had a camera attached to it, as well as resisting arrest by three police officers.
“I want to start with a heartfelt apology. To my club, teammates, supporters and most importantly the police,” read Cipriani’s statement. “They have a tough and vital job and I’m mortified that, earlier this week, I acted in a way that I hugely regret. I am truly sorry.”
There are echoes of Manu Tuilagi’s ban from the 2015 World Cup after he was convicted of assaulting two female police officers and a taxi driver but that suspension was enforced by Stuart Lancaster rather than as part of any RFU disciplinary protocol. Lancaster endeavoured throughout his tenure to improve England’s tarnished image and opted to throw the book at Tuilagi whereas Jones has proved more pragmatic in his selection to date. When Tuilagi and Denny Solomona were sent home early from pre-season training camp in August 2017 for a late-night drinking session, Jones said: “Everyone makes bad mistakes. So we will just assess them over the next period of time and, if they’re eligible for selection and if their attitude is right, then we will pick them.”
Cipriani’s hearing at Jersey magistrates court lasted 13 minutes after he pleaded guilty to the two charges. The incident was sparked when he attempted to take two drinks outside The Little Drift nightclub in St Helier. Three other charges of assault on police, larceny and being disorderly on licensed premises were dropped.
His statement continued: “I would also like to put on record the words of the magistrate Sarah Fitz who publicly stated that ‘it was a minor incident’ and ‘a fine is more than sufficient’. I was wrong to argue with a bouncer and pull on his camera tie. I was also wrong to resist arrest. This is why I pleaded guilty to these two charges and all other charges were dropped by the prosecution.
“I was initially confused as to why I was being arrested by three officers. This led me to react in the wrong manner for a matter of seconds, seeking to hold off the police officers rather than accepting their decision. It goes without saying, given the words of the magistrate, that I didn’t strike anyone or initiate aggression in any way.”
Soon after the hearing Gloucester released a statement confirming their intentions to investigate the incident internally. The Gloucester chief executive, Stephen Vaughan, said: “We are very proud of the culture we have within the group and the stated values which we strive to deliver. Incidents of this nature are very disappointing to be associated with and we will deal with it in a robust but balanced way but based purely on the facts.
“As a high-profile sportsperson there is often a large degree of public and media scrutiny involved, which Danny is well aware of. The incident in question was over in a matter of seconds and was a reaction to the conduct of other parties involved.
“He knows his responsibilities and is aware of the impact of this type of incident on the club. However, Danny is a Gloucester Rugby player and will receive our full support as we focus on the exciting season ahead.”