Monday 17 March 2008
Wilkinson hails Cipriani impact

Jonny Wilkinson has described Danny Cipriani’s full England debut as “a joy to watch”.

Cipriani was handed the number 10 role at Wilkinson’s expense as England rounded off their RBS 6 Nations championship with a 33-10 win over Ireland on Saturday.

And while Wilkinson - who impressed as a second-half replacement at centre - admitted he would have been far less gracious in the past, he insists he was delighted by Cipriani’s performance at the weekend.

“That was a phenomenally impressive start from Danny Cipriani in the England No10 shirt on Saturday,” he said.

“And believe me, from where I was sitting on the England bench for most of the game, it was a joy to watch.

“I guess it is only human nature, but I have been asked what it was like to watch him play so well at No10, the position I like to play. The answer is simple: it was fantastic and I was genuinely delighted for him.

“The sad thing is that in years gone by, that might not have been the case. I can't deny that when Charlie Hodgson was making his mark on that position, I found it very hard to accept.”

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