Cipriani booted out of the England squad for Saturday's game

Iain · Post by **Iain** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:19 pm

Just me that agrees with Ashton then? A rule is a rule, a curfew is a curfew. Let it go with a rap on the knuckles and rules aren't respected. The guy's a professional rugby player, so he needs to act professionally.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no more pleased that Balshaw is playing than the next bloke, but at least Ashton has shown he DOES have a backbone after all.

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:22 pm

Iain

I am with you! I would have imposed the 100 press ups with a 50kg backpack under a freezing cold hosepipe first. Then dropped him!

rosbif · Post by **rosbif** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:52 pm

Cipriani is an absolute prat!!!
Brian Ashton is absolutely correct in his stance.
Professional rugby players do not 'deliver tickets to their mates' after midnight in a wine-bar two days before their first international start or even before their fiftieth.
Critics of Ashton would absolutely crucify him if he treated the young prat leniently for him then to have a 'mare' against Scotland.
Some have said 'Keep it quiet, just have a word'.
When it's already in the media it's too late.
Cipriani is lucky- if the England coach was someone a bit more volatile he may be out due to injury!!!
I hope he learns from this because we don't want a role model in rugby like Gazza.

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:57 pm

rosbif wrote:Some have said 'Keep it quiet, just have a word'.
When it's already in the media it's too late.
Cipriani is lucky- if the England coach was someone a bit more volatile he may be out due to injury!!!
.

When England had a Captain he would have been "injured in training"!

scouse tiger · Post by **scouse tiger** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:03 pm

I have every faith in Balshaw doing the job....

What the *!"#*!^ hell do I know anyway.

Smacks of a set up to me.... BAshton wanting Balshie in from the start...conveniently he has got his way.

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:08 pm

More like Wasps wanting him to play for them!

Big Tigger · Post by **Big Tigger** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:42 pm

Do we actually know that there was a curfew to break? far as i've heard it was a night they were allwed home as the training is done?
if there was then yeah it's stupid if not what exactly has he done? I know i'd find sleeping pretty hard if i was in his position.

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:51 pm

Tiger_in_Birmingham wrote:Same thing happened in the Welsh camp by all accounts earlier in the 6N, Popham and someone else who I can't remember were told that they weren't going to be starting the match. This was also told to Henson at the start of the season, to knuckle under and be professional or get dropped

The irony was that under the old Wales regime you used to get dropped if you didn't go out on the lash.

rosbif · Post by **rosbif** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:54 pm

It is said that there was a 'midnight' curfew. The papparazi snapped him at 12.15am. Have you ever tried to board an aircraft 15 mins after its departure time?
Unless he lives next door to the club he was long overdue.I just hope he learns.

Big Tigger · Post by **Big Tigger** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:57 pm

Rosbif what said there was a curfew? The Sun? I haven't seen the curfew and just watching the rugby club and none of them seem to know either.

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:02 pm

Big Tigger wrote:Rosbif what said there was a curfew? The Sun? I haven't seen the curfew and just watching the rugby club and none of them seem to know either.

Yes, the Sun.

Big Tigger · Post by **Big Tigger** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:03 pm

In which case there most certainly must have been a curfew....

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:04 pm

Big Tigger wrote:In which case there most certainly must have been a curfew....

Are you doubting the mighty Sun?

Big Tigger · Post by **Big Tigger** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:07 pm

No of course not, i wouldn't dare question gospel.

Phil B · Post by **Phil B** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:26 pm

Congratulations Mr Ashton.