Danny Cipriani's facing a tough battle if Dave Walder keeps getting his kicks

Chris Jones
7 Dec 2009

A record number of London Wasps fans packed into Adams Park yesterday hoping to witness the return of Danny Cipriani, but went home singing the praises of his back-up instead.

Cipriani, fit again after two months out with a fractured fibula, was an unused replacement as Wasps defeated perennial rivals Leicester 24-22 to stay on the coat-tails of the Guinness Premiership's top four.

The England fly-half, 22, will use Wasps' A-team match against Harlequins at Henley tonight to test his fitness ahead of a probable return to the senior side in Saturday's Amlin Challenge Cup clash with Bayonne.

But when domestic action resumes later this month, the battle for the No10 jersey between Cipriani and current incumbent Dave Walder is set to be fiercely contested.

Walder put in a controlled display at fly-half in front of a record Adams Park attendance of 10,116 to tame the Tigers, who lost their way after an ominously strong first 30 minutes.

His place kicking was unforgiving - his only miss from six shots was from wide out attempting to convert Paul Sackey's opening try - while his rapier-like break and deft offload that set up Steve Kefu for Wasps' crucial second try just before half-time was reminiscent of Cipriani at his best.

"Dave is playing very good rugby match after match," said captain Serge Betsen. "It's good for the team to know that we have two No10s that can really challenge each other."

Wasps head coach Shaun Edwards added in no uncertain terms that Cipriani would not be a shoo-in given Walder's current form.

"Everybody in the team is fighting for their position, especially when we are playing well, and Danny is no different to anybody else," Edwards said.

"I'm sure he'll be giving it everything in the A-league fixture to put his claim forward for a first-team spot."

Cipriani was called up by Wasps for bench duty in yesterday's match after winger David Lemi pulled out because of illness. But Betsen revealed the England ace would only have come on in an emergency, adding that Wasps are keen to ease Cipriani back into action after his latest injury setback.

"He didn't take part in all the training sessions during the week so he was only on the bench just in case. We are determined to bring him back slowly," said the former France flanker.

Cipriani will be joined in the second-string line-up tonight by winger Lee Smith, Wasps' new recruit from rugby league side Leeds Rhinos.

By then, club representatives will have given evidence at a Premier Rugby hearing at Twickenham explaining why they made the controversial choice not to take the field against Sale at Edgeley Park a week last Friday.

They could face a range of sanctions, including a points deduction and being forced to pay Sale compensation, if League chiefs decide Wasps were not within their rights to stage a walk-out on the grounds that a waterlogged part of the pitch in Stockport was a threat to player safety.

"It gives a chance for us to give our version of events and hopefully a common-sense decision will be made," said director of rugby Tony Hanks.

Whether the week off had any effect on yesterday's result is impossible to judge, but Wasps were clearly up for a match they saw as defining.