by Our Sports Desk

England were forced to conduct their preparations for the World Cup yesterday burdened by the uncertainty surrounding Danny Cipriani after the Sale fly-half was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

Cipriani was unhurt in a collision between his Mercedes and a Toyota in west London on Monday morning, just hours after he had produced a man of the match display against the Barbarians at Twickenham.

The 27-year-old was given a breath test and taken to a west London police station before being released on bail until August.

England are waiting for the outcome of the police investigation before deciding what action — if any — should be taken.

“We are aware of the matter concerning Danny Cipriani. However, it would be inappropriate to comment at this time until all the facts are known,” a spokesperson for the Rugby Football Union said.

Both England and Cipriani are now stuck in limbo, sweating on the result of the police enquiry into the incident as head coach Stuart Lancaster confronts yet another disciplinary headache.

England are still three weeks away from beginning their summer training camp but have already been forced to remove established internationals Dylan Hartley and Manu Tuilagi from their World Cup plans on disciplinary grounds.

Hartley was ejected from the initial 50-man squad for headbutting rival hooker Jamie George on club duty while Tuilagi was punished following his conviction for attacking two police officers and a taxi driver.

There will be an anxious and lengthy wait to see if Cipriani will become another her high-profile World Cup casualty and the matter is sure to cast a cloud over tournament preparations, which include a two-week spell at high altitude in Denver, United States.

If Cipriani is charged and convicted, Lancaster will be compelled to act decisively yet again to honour his hard-line stance on disciplinary issues.

Speaking to the media after finishing with an outstanding 33-point haul in Sunday’s 73-12 victory over the Barbarians, Cipriani insisted the England management had learnt to trust him once more having rebuilt a reputation tarnished by repeated misdemeanours and a celebrity lifestyle.

Only last week, Cipriani described his inclusion in the World Cup training squad as a “dream” and outlined the desire to become a coach: “I want to be a role model and that person who helps develop people.”

The former Wasps and Melbourne Rebels playmaker also backed Lancaster’s handling of Tuilagi’s assault, unaware that in the coming weeks his hopes of appearing at England 2015 could be determined on the same criteria, even if the nature of the misdemeanour differs.

“Manu understands what he did and Stuart Lancaster handled it in the best way he could. It will be sad that Manu won’t be there but the rules have been set. And that’s how it is,” he said.