Danny Cipriani plays down England training incident

Danny Cipriani has played down reports of a pre-World Cup training ground bust-up and has vowed to try and regain his place in the England side.

Sale fly-half Cipriani was involved in an altercation with attacking skills coach Mike Catt the day after learning he had not made Stuart Lancaster's World Cup squad.

England have described the matter as a "robust conversation" which came about following a "misunderstanding", and Cipriani also appears keen to move on.

"There has been a lot said about a training ground incident I had with Mike Catt this week when I was with England," Cipriani wrote in his column in The Sun.

"But I respect what happens in the England camp and what goes on there, stays there.

"We spoke and addressed the issue the next day and we have a good working relationship."

I respect what happens in the England camp and what goes on there, stays there.

England's World Cup on home soil is effectively over, with just a dead rubber against Uruguay to play at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, after defeats to Wales and Australia meant they could not progress from Pool A.

But Cipriani, who was overlooked for World Cup selection in favour of George Ford and Owen Farrell, has urged unity in the camp and remains keen to regain his place in the squad ahead of next year's Six Nations Championship.

"We now need to regroup and rebuild. Whatever happens, we need to move forward as one now," he added.

"I don't think there's a reason to panic and think that the English game is doomed. There are still a lot of world-class players in that England squad.

"For me, playing for England is still my dream.

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"The commitment and drive to put on the white shirt is still there. Everyone is going to go out there and put their hands up and say 'pick me'.

"Sale Sharks are now my priority along with getting stuck into the season. If I play well for them, that's all I can do to be selected for the Six Nations squad."

Lancaster was also keen to play the Catt incident down.

"There are two sides to every story. Everybody knows Mike Catt pretty well. I won't extend that particular story," he said.

"Incidents like these are isolated. That particular incident I saw. I had a good chat with both of them. Everyone shook hands and it was all done in a short space of time and we all moved on.

"There was no problem, but the reality is that things like that happen when there are a lot of players in camp. It's a non-story."