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Rugby Union

Cipriani facing six months on sidelines

19/05/2008

Wasps and England fly-half Danny Cipriani has been ruled out for six months after undergoing surgery on his injured right ankle.

The 20-year-old suffered a fractured dislocation of the joint when he was tackled by Bath centre Olly Barkely.

After being taken to Lister hospital in London, Cipriani went under the knife for what medics described as an "open reduction and internal fixation" of the ankle.

The injury and subsequent rehabilitation period rules Cipriani out of England's two-match Test series in New Zealand this summer - which is a major blow considering fellow fly-half Jonny Wilkinson is also out injured.

Cipriani will miss the early stages of the 2008/09 Guinness Premiership season and could be doubtful for the autumn internationals.

He has been joined in hospital by Wasps team-mate Tom Voyce, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in the same match.

And the club's head physiotherapist Prav Mathema voiced his gratitude to the medical staff who were working with the two men.

"On behalf of London Wasps, Danny and Tom, I would like to thank everyone who was involved in managing the treatment of those two players yesterday," he said.

"London Wasps' own medical team, Bath's medical team, the paramedics, consultants and the Lister hospital staff were exemplary in their medical care of these two players."

Despite the injuries to Cipriani and Voyce, Wasps reached the Guinness Premiership final with a 21-10 victory over Bath.

In the showpiece at Twickenham they will face reigning champions Leicester Tigers in a repeat of the 2007 Heineken Cup final, in which Wasps recorded a surprise victory to deny the Welford Road outfit an unprecedented treble.