News

Barkley stays by Cipriani's side

May 20 2008

When Danny Cipriani awoke from his anaesthetic on Monday after surgery to fix a dislocated fracture of the ankle, the man who had been inadvertently responsible for the damage was there waiting for him.

Olly Barkley's was the body that slipped off Cipriani in a routine tackle and landed on the fly-half's outstretched foot, twisting it round horribly, and he remembered the incident in detail in The Daily Mail on Tuesday.

"It was a complete accident. Danny went for the gap and I went to tackle him, the sort of thing which happens hundreds of times in any match," said Barkley.

"I heard something go. It's not a very nice thing to hear or see. It's an incident which will stay with you for quite a while. Nobody would wish that on his worst enemy. Alex (Crockett, who waws also involved in the tackle) was quite severely affected by it. He went very quiet and felt a bit queasy."

"It was definitely the most horrific thing I have seen on a rugby pitch. "It was so far out of place that, at first, Danny didn't think it was his leg.

"He had looked down at his foot just after it happened and it must have put him in a massive state of shock. It looked horrendous and put a huge cloud over the remainder of the match.

"What made it all the more upsetting was that, apart from everything else, Danny is a mate. I'd been looking forward to the chance of playing alongside him for England in New Zealand next month. It's a huge shame for Danny and a huge shame for England.

"I'm sad for Danny, sad for England and I wanted to go to tell him how sorry I am that it happened. If that had been me, I would have appreciated a visit from one of my mates."

Cipriani is set for six months of rehab, and faces a race against time to be fit and ready for England's Six Nations campaign next year, but fitness coach Margo Wells says he will be back 'better, fitter, and stronger than ever'.

"Danny was quite drowsy when I saw him but the specialist was there and everything has gone as well as it could have gone," concluded Barkley.

"It's all back in place. It will take a while but it will come right in the end. Players have come back from these kind of injuries, even if they do take a long time."