England No 8 Nathan Hughes has backed teammate Danny Cipriani to come out firing in their third Test against the Springboks at Newlands on Saturday.

Cipriani will start his first Test since 2008 in place of incumbent George Ford, who has been jettisoned from the match 23.

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However, Hughes says his Wasps teammate’s return to the national side is no surprise as his creativity drove them to the English Premiership semi-finals.

‘He’s a very intelligent footballer and the way he runs the game is one of the reasons why Wasps have been successful the last few years,’ Hughes told Sky Sports. ‘As a defender, you don’t want Danny Cipriani running at you.

‘Speaking to him, he is excited and looking forward to it. I am happy for him. He has trained hard, kept his head down and cracked on.

‘The opportunity has come now and you will see a Danny Cipriani show on Saturday.’

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