/ 24 November 2008

Cipriani vows to improve after Bok-beating

Danny Cipriani insisted he would improve after enduring a torrid match during England’s record-breaking loss to South Africa at Twickenham.

The world champions won 42-6 as England suffered their heaviest home defeat and, for the second time in three matches, Cipriani saw a charged-down kick lead to an opposition try.

It was a chastening experience for the 21-year-old rising star of English rugby, who was reduced to throwing long, wild passes while being harried throughout by the Springboks.

Come the finish of Saturday’s match, the stand-off seemed uncertain as to what to do, although he wasn’t helped by a lack of incisive support at pace from England’s midfield.

But as was the case in the previous week’s 28-14 defeat by Australia, Cipriani was also outshone when it came to tactical kicking.

Things are unlikely to get easier with Tri-Nations champions New Zealand at Twickenham this coming Saturday.

”It hurts because we were playing for England in front of our own crowd,” Cipriani said. ”It hurts when you don’t do your country proud.

We must come back stronger from it.

”I need to have a hard shell and improve as best I can. I know I have got it in me.” He added: ”I’ve got to get back in the analysis room and try to improve. Just get my head down and hopefully be part of the next match.

”As you could all see it was very disappointing on my behalf and the team deserved a lot better.

”We’ve let the whole squad down and that includes the management.” Cipriani admitted that he as much as anyone else in the England team had been found wanting against the world champions.

”I wasn’t up to the level. I was very disappointed in my game and it’s another learning curve.

”We’re going to have to be very strong as a squad. There’s going to be a lot of negativity outside it, but we need to rally,” he said after England, beaten 15-6 in last year’s World Cup final by South Africa, had suffered their sixth straight defeat against the Springboks.

England manager Martin Johnson, England’s 2003 Word Cup-winning captain, insisted after Saturday’s morale-sapping loss that his squad still represented ”our best players”.

Meanwhile England outside centre Jamie Noon was among those pleading for emerging talents such as Cipriani, who against the Springboks was winning only his sixth cap, to be given a run of games.

”We need an element of patience,” said Noon following England’s second defeat in three games under Johnson.

”As a nation we need to get behind these young guys. Stick with them and they’ll work in time.”
England next face a New Zealand side going for a grand slam after wins over Scotland (32-6), Ireland (22-3) and Wales (29-9).

In none of those victories have the All Blacks conceded a try. – Sapa-AFP