Young gun Cipriani faces shoot-out to regain place

Danny Cipriani and Andy Goode are facing a one-game "shoot-out" to earn a place in the England squad for next week's clash with Ireland.

The fly-halves were today among 17 players from England's elite player squad sent back to their clubs for weekend matches by team manager Martin Johnson.

It means Cipriani, who had his best game of the season against Leicester last week, can state his case for an England recall when he lines up for London Wasps against Northampton on Sunday.

Twenty four hours earlier Goode, who started at No10 against Wales, will play for Brive against Biarritz.

Given that Goode was replaced by Toby Flood after his yellow card in the defeat in Cardiff, the French-based No10 could lose his place if Cipriani has another outstanding match on Sunday.

Cipriani was dropped to the Saxons - the second team - after a lengthy meeting with Johnson during their pre-Six Nations training camp in Portugal. Since then, Cipriani has signed a new one-year deal with Wasps and looked more like the player who made such an impact before suffering a terrible ankle injury last May.

Goode is the only member of the team beaten by Wales to return to his club, as he is not covered by England's elite player agreement.

London Irish will be delighted to get Shane Geraghty, Steffon Armitage and Paul Hodgson back for their Premiership match with fourth-placed Bath on Saturday.

The 17 players will rejoin the rest of the elite player squad at their Bagshot hotel on Sunday evening.