“I’ve read more about Danny Cipriani in the West End than I have on the rugby field. Everyone writes him up but I still think Jonny Wilkinson is by far the best fly-half England have had for a long time. Whether Danny’s going to be good enough or not he needs to get on the field and play. He’s usually there for one or two games and then he disappears, through injury or bad luck. The bottom line is we haven’t really seen the best of him.

“I’m not saying Danny Cipriani can’t get there or that Danny Cipriani will never be a Jonny Wilkinson but you can never underestimate the confidence junior players get from looking around the changing room and seeing a player who can win a Test on his own. Even if he doesn’t, it makes them play so much better. Look what Wilkinson did for England at the last World Cup. They were dead and buried after their 36-0 defeat to us in the pool game. All of a sudden he came back and they ended up making the final. The secret when you have those sort of players is to use them for as long as you can because it brings out the best in those around them.”