Danny Cipriani (picture) was named in an England squad for the first time in six years yesterday as coach Stuart Lancaster has decided the mercurial Sale flyhalf is no longer a risk to his team’s esprit de corps.

Cipriani won all seven of his caps under Brian Ashton in 2008 – having been dropped from what would have been his debut against Scotland after being seen outside a nightclub days before a match.

However, now 26, Cipriani seems more settled and enjoyed an impressive season for Sale, who he helped to a sixth-place finish in the Premiership a year after they were almost relegated.

His reward is a place in a 20-man training squad made up of players from the six Premiership clubs no longer involved in play-off or European cup final action, many of whom will feature in the non-cap game against the Barbarians at Twickenham on June 1.

The squad will be finalised after those matches, with around 40 expected to travel to New Zealand.