Not since Jonny Wilkinson was slotting over World Cup winning drop goals in 2003 has the English media and public been so focused on a player wearing England's No.10 jersey.
Danny Cipriani, the precocious 20-year-old, has been capturing headlines with his expected return to competitive rugby for Wasps in a match against Bath tonight.
It's been less than six months since he fractured and dislocated his right ankle in a play-off clash in the Guinness Premiership against the same opponents in May, when he was trapped at the bottom of a ruck after a tackle by Test teammate Olly Barkley.
But the flyhalf has been making headlines off the field as well. During the Six Nations series in February, Cipriani was dropped from the England squad by then coach Brian Ashton two days before he was due to make his starting debut against Scotland after he was spotted leaving a London nightclub after midnight.
England lost and so did Wilkinson, with Cipriani replacing the England stalwart at flyhalf for the final game against Ireland. They won 33-10 at Twickenham, with Cipriani scoring 18 points.
Cipriani denies he is a playboy but former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio has labelled him the Cristiano Ronaldo of rugby. He was previously linked with Monica Irimia, of Romanian pop duo The Cheeky Girls, and transsexual model Larissa Summers. But his latest girlfriend, English model, Kelly Brook, 28, who has just ended a relationship with American actor Billy Zane, has his coaches "jealous" at Wasps.
Cipriani and Brook were first seen in public together last month when the pair were spotted at several nightclubs in London's trendy Kensington district.
British papers reported assistant coach at Wasps, Shaun Edwards, in response to the new romance, muttering at training, "Lucky bastard. ... I never pulled birds like that."
The club's director of rugby, Ian McGeechan, was more diplomatic: "Time off is time off. ... some people are just luckier with their time off than those of us who just take the dogs for a walk."
But both coaches defend their star flyhalf's professionalism.
"Danny wouldn't be at this point if he wasn't ultra-dedicated," said McGeechan. "He is six weeks ahead of the original diagnosis. That takes real dedication. He's the ultimate professional."
McGeechan is still furious with how the England management treated his charger after the nightclub incident, telling The Guardian , "I made it quite clear to [elite rugby director] Rob Andrew and [then coach] Brian Ashton that I felt the matter wasn't handled as well as it should have been," said McGeechan. "You need the full story and I just thought it was a response out of context with what was happening. If he had been leaving the Opera House in Covent Garden, would there have been the same problem?"
Cipriani has been working with sprint coach Margot Wells - wife of 1980 100m Olympic champion Allan - and says he is stronger and faster than before his injury.
"I've still got lot of sharpening work to do but my times over 30m and 50m have been better," he revealed.
"It doesn't feel like I've had a major injury any more, it just feels like I've had some time off," he said. "I can't wait to get on the field."
Despite returning from injury six weeks ahead of schedule, Cipriani is no certainty to play for England in the November internationals against the Pacific Islanders, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
His early return could prove embarrassing for England rugby chiefs because, as things stand, they cannot insist on him being released by Wasps for the November internationals because he was not included in the 32-man elite squad they announced on July 1.
As a result, Cipriani can only be added to the squad if one of the existing members is injured or suspended.
Coincidentally, that man could by Wilkinson, who injured ligaments in his left knee in a Guinness Premiership match overnight as his Newcastle team went down to 39-23.
with AFP