Exclusive – Probyn fears in-form Cipriani is ‘too old’ for an England recall

Jeff Probyn believes Danny Cipriani’s England days are behind him  - because at 25 he’s now too old!

The fly-half has been in excellent form for Sale Sharks in recent weeks and that has prompted stories he could possibly be in line for an international recall.

But former prop Probyn insists there are others ahead of the former Wasps star in the pecking order, and that makes it unlikely he will add to his seven caps.

He told Hawksbee and Jacobs: “Cipriani’s problem is with the Elite Playing Squad now fixed until after Christmas he’s got to keep playing well to have any chance of getting into the reckoning for the Six Nations that follows.

“He’s unfortunate in that he went away because he was having problems, but he was not successful in Australia and came back to England to find there are now four or five fly-halves ahead him, three of whom are younger than him. So that gives him an enormous problem.

“England pick players by age group, so if a younger player comes through, the older players are ignored.

“If a 22-year-old comes along, they’ll look in that age range. And George Ford (20) is playing so well for Bath, that however well Cipriani is playing for Sale, it’s Ford’s generation they’re going to be looking at.”