Cipriani: Back in England

The 24-year-old stand-off is back in the English top-flight two years after leaving Wasps for Australian side Melbourne Rebels.

Having signed a three-year deal with Sale in March, Cipriani has made clear his desire to get back into the senior England set-up and add to his seven international caps, the last of which he won in 2008.

He is prepared to be patient in working towards that target, though, with his concentration at the moment fixed on his new club and the start of the forthcoming Premiership season.

Asked about his hopes of regaining an England spot, Cipriani said: "It is a long-term goal of mine.

"People have heard me talk about that, but in terms of what I'm about now, it is coming back and just getting into the Sale side and making sure we start the season well.

"You can't let the season slip away from you and it is important that we get off to a flier."

Cipriani, who fell out of favour when Martin Johnson was in charge of England, feels the team are making encouraging progress under his successor Stuart Lancaster.

"You can be frustrated with the gap I've had, but it is just part and parcel of what has happened over these last few years," Cipriani - not included in the latest England senior or Saxons squads announced earlier this month - said.

"You can't really cry over spilt milk so you just have to get on with it. I'm back now and I'm just looking forward to starting this season the best I can.

"That is the main thing and then we will just see what happens from there."

Sale - who will now be playing home games at a new stadium in a groundshare with rugby league neighbours Salford City Reds - have undergone something of a revolution in recent times with Steve Diamond at the helm and Cipriani admits the Sharks chief executive was a major factor in his decision to join.

World class

"Steve Diamond was a big influence in why I came to Sale," Cipriani said.

"He sold the club very well to me, showed how they are moving forward, the improvements they have made and where they are going to keep going.

"That is very important to me and I am going to be behind that."

Diamond himself has no doubt he has signed a "world-class" player destined to return to the England fold, and has every confidence Cipriani - who has had a somewhat chequered career on the disciplinary front - will settle well at Sale.

"It is not a gamble - he is world-class," Diamond said. "You see him in practice and you know why we bought him. Everyone sees that and respects it.

"We have somebody who is on a different planet when it comes to handling the ball and vision.

"Of course, everyone is different, but we have a great set of lads who look after the policing of that for me. It will not really be a case of me looking after Danny - it's the rest of them."