Cipriani last played for England in the 2008 autumn internationals

Wasps fly-half Danny Cipriani made his comeback after two months out with a broken leg in a reserve-team game against Harlequins on Monday night.

The 22-year-old England fly-half played 40 minutes in the A League match in Henley, which Wasps lost 27-13.

Cipriani was playing for the first time since suffering a hairline fracture to his right fibula in the Premiership game against Northampton on 4 October.

"It is good to get back," Cipriani told Sky Sports News.

"After the first four weeks healing the bone it gets a bit frustrating. Then you start training and you are in the gym for four weeks every single day and it gets a bit more frustrating, but you just have to get back.

"People like Jonny Wilkinson are proving that they are coming back time after time and I just have to keep doing it."

Cipriani, who suffered a horrific ankle injury in the Premiership play-off semi-final victory over Bath in May 2008, has not played for England this year after falling out of favour.

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to Cipriani's return

He returned from his ankle injury for England's autumn series last year but after a disappointing campaign, he did not feature in the Six Nations and was left out of Martin Johnson's elite player squad as well as the British and Irish Lions party that toured South Africa in the summer.

His latest injury came in the Guinness Premiership match against Northampton, where he was forced off in the 70th minute.

Cipriani was named on the bench for last weekend's league match with Leicester, but was an unused substitute.

He is expected to make his first-team return in Saturday's European Challenge Cup game at home to French side Bayonne.

Monday night's match with Quins also saw the first appearance in a Wasps shirt of rugby league convert Lee Smith.

The 23-year-old winger joined Wasps from Super League champions Leeds Rhinos after the end of the rugby league season.

"It was not the most glamorous of games," he said. "But I enjoyed it and good to get a game under my belt. There is a lot to learn, it is not as simple as people think it is."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version