Friday 17 August 2018 10:56, UK
Danny Cipriani should retain his England place - despite having been fined £2,000 for his misconduct in Jersey this week, says Sky Sports' Stuart Barnes.
The Gloucester fly-half pleaded guilty to common assault and resisting arrest on Thursday, having been arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning following an incident outside a bar.
The timing was poor for Cipriani, whose fine play for Wasps last season earned him an England recall - after years out in the cold - and a starting berth for the win over South Africa in the third Test, in which he set up the crucial try.
Gloucester says Cipriani has their "full support" but the 30-year-old's latest lapse in judgement adds to his somewhat patchy disciplinary record.
And England head coach Eddie Jones told Sky Sports News back in May after recalling Cipriani that: "If he's on the
front page for any other reason (than rugby), he won't be with us."
However, Barnes - himself a former England fly-half - does not think Cipriani's offence was severe enough to warrant a return to the international wilderness.
"I feel that Danny Cipriani is still firmly in contention for this England squad, unless Eddie Jones was appeasing us in the media when he took him to South Africa, and he doesn't want him," Barnes said.
"Other than that, I think Cipriani has to be named in the squad for the coming autumn, because of his form last season and his effort for England in the third Test."
Barnes added: "Of course, it is disappointing.
"But, if that had been a Gloucester reserve fly-half,or a flanker, that story would not even have made the newspapers anywhere else."
