Danny Cipriani: Steve Diamond says England recall possible

Danny Cipriani is playing well enough to earn an England recall, according to Sale's director of rugby Steve Diamond.

National team coach Stuart Lancaster watched the fly-half, 26, help the Sharks beat London Irish on Friday.

But Diamond does not want the prospect of an international comeback to affect Cipriani's excellent recent club form.

"We don't want to start talking about him playing for England just yet. Just let him keep playing the game he's playing," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

"If the opportunity comes in the Six Nations - brilliant. If it doesn't, there's a summer tour.

"If he plays like he is playing, and controls the game like he is, the England coaches will have to take a look at him some time."

Cipriani last played for England in November 2008, winning his seventh cap in a defeat by New Zealand at Twickenham.

Owen Farrell of Saracens and Leicester's Toby Flood have been selected at fly-half for the majority of Lancaster's reign as England coach, while Freddie Burns of Gloucester and Bath's George Ford have been tipped to make international breakthroughs in the coming months.

Cipriani's first season with Sale was mixed - the Sharks struggled against relegation for much of the 2012-13 Premiership campaign and it ended with him being knocked down by a bus in Leeds during a night out with his team-mates.

However, his good form this term has helped Sale make a much brighter start and the 15-3 win at the AJ Bell Stadium was their fifth in 10 Premiership outings, leaving them in a comfortable mid-table position.

"There's a lot of press about Danny at the moment," continued 45-year-old Diamond. "Danny's playing well because he's playing for the team. As he's matured, he's realised his individual brilliance is brilliant when combined with a team ethic."

Cipriani's opportunist cross-field kick set up Tom Brady for the opening try against the Exiles - Brady's first of the season.

An injury-hit 2012-13 campaign, coupled with Sale's struggles, made it a tough year for the 22-year-old winger, whose recent form has been praised by Diamond.

"This time last year, it was always miserable on a Monday morning," said Brady. "At the minute, we look forward to playing with each other.

"Personally, I'm looking forward to playing rugby, whereas last year it was a bit like 'oh, I've got to get my boots on again'.

"It is a complete switch in mindset. Everyone's so positive, we're playing with confidence and we're a good unit."

Meanwhile, centre Mark Jennings has revealed on Twitter that he has signed a new two-year contract with the Sharks.