Former England fly-half Danny Cipriani has slammed the current team and its coaching following their loss to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
The 35-year-old has torn into the side on social media and also believes that English rugby is “digging its own grave” in an onslaught on their playing style.
Cipriani played 16 times for England but struggled to nail down a jersey, with his impressive form at Wasps early in his career not backed up at Test level.
Slammed current side
It’s clear he’s not happy with the current set-up after their latest defeat and with the Rugby World Cup under three weeks away, Cipriani has not held back.
“English rugby is digging its own grave, led by people that do not understand the art of the game,” he wrote on X in a scathing attack on the style of play.
The former Sale, Rebels, Bath and Gloucester fly-half went on to write that tradition and heritage is “outdated” and that they are “shackling the game”.
“The game is coached at step 2/3, lowest common denominator. Never step one, game understanding/intelligence, spatial recognition, nuance. It is all how tough can I show to the world I am. Bravado. It will only ever bring a certain level of performance.
“Open discussions where coaches welcome new ideas that feel uncomfortable to them because it’s the only way it will grow,” he said before referencing football.
“Don’t be Sam Allardyce when you can be Pep Guardiola.
“Attack space in every aspect and build confidence in players decision making not conform to a plan. Have a framework but be flexible. All aligned under the vision of someone who you want to follow or have qualities you admire – knowledge, compassion, passion, emotional intelligence, love, honesty and humility.
“If you’re trained to think and not to feel you’re always going to be one step behind,” Cipriani concluded after England went down to a second warm-up loss.
The loss in Dublin was Steve Borthwick’s fifth in his eight games since he took over from Eddie Jones, with Cipriani sympathetic of what he was left behind.
“It doesn’t mean Borthwick isn’t right for the job,” he continued with a response to one reader’s comment on the social media platform. “He has clearly grown from a player to a coach. He over took a very wooden system left by Eddie. Which is a very tough job to get the players to unlearn what was ingrained in them.”
Fiji next for England
England must now regroup ahead of their final World Cup warm-up clash with a dangerous Fiji side at Twickenham next weekend as they look to respond.
Following that fixture the Red Rose will head into a pool alongside Argentina, Japan, Samoa and Chile, kicking off against Los Pumas on September 9.
READ MORE: Ireland v England: Five takeaways from the Rugby World Cup warm-up as Red Rose plummet to new low
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