Ex-professional and leading pundit Austin Healey has laid into fly half Danny Cipriani following his immediate departure from Gloucester earlier in the week.
On Tuesday 15 December Gloucester announced Cipriani’s departure with Scottish international Adam Hastings coming in as his replacement and Healey has slammed the former England fly half’s character in his Telegraph column.
“The (now former) Gloucester fly-half is someone who played rugby with his heart but who also lived his life with his heart,” wrote Healey.
“He’s obviously a complicated individual with lots going on in his personal life, but in Gloucester’s season-opening loss at Leicester, he was a complete and utter mess. I know his career is not over, but I fear he has reached a stage in his life where his heart may no longer be in it.
“Danny never really hit the heights with England because he was never good enough. He was nowhere near as good as George Ford or Owen Farrell.
“He has thrown some amazing passes, he’s box office with an immense highlights reel, but if you were to play his 80-minute reel you would see a lot more negative than positive. You cannot play international rugby when your goal-kicking percentage starts with a seven – at best – either.
“Danny has never been able to change people’s perceptions of him. He worked hard and he trained hard, but he has never put to bed the perception that he could be disruptive to a squad. You can be as much of a gifted maverick as you like, but the common goal has to be the team. And when it isn’t, people turn on you.”
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