Thursday 23 August 2018 22:26, UK
Danny Cipriani enjoyed a successful debut as Gloucester beat pre-season friendly opponents the Dragons 40-31 at Kingsholm.
Cipriani gave an assured 40-minute display, less than 24 hours after an independent disciplinary panel upheld a Rugby Football Union charge of "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game" against him following his conviction for common assault and resisting arrest in Jersey last week.
The England player was fined £2,000 at Jersey Magistrates' Court and a further £2,000 by his club, but after no sanction was imposed by the panel following a five-hour hearing on Wednesday he lined up against the Dragons.
The fly-half warmed up impressively for next week's Gallagher Premiership opener against Northampton, mixing and matching his game cleverly, while he also had a try disallowed.
Cipriani, who started England's third Test victory over South Africa in Cape Town two months ago, created Gloucester's opening try for fellow summer arrival Matt Banahan, while there were also first-half touchdowns for full-back Jason Woodward and hooker James Hanson, with centre Billy Twelvetrees kicking all three conversions.
The Dragons, with former Gloucester hooker Richard Hibbard in their starting XV, responded through tries by full-back Jordan Williams and fly-half Josh Lewis, who also landed a conversion.
Cipriani was among a number of players to go off at half-time, but Gloucester's flow and rhythm was not disrupted as Franco Marais and Mariano Galarza added further tries, and there was also a penalty try, with Gavin Henson converting two of three second-half Dragons tries by Dafydd Howells, Tiaan Loots and Rhodri Williams.
