The 20-year-old’s return to action last Wednesday from a gruesome ankle came just 24 hours after Jonny Wilkinson suffered another injury setback of his own.

Cipriani is now in line for a return to the England team for the autumn internationals after missing the tour to New Zealand.

The “dream” prospect of playing for his country is always the goal - but Cipriani wants to earn his place on form not reputation.

And Wasps need him in form as they head into Heineken Cup action against Castres on Sunday on the back of five defeats from six games in the new season.

Cipriani said: “Playing for England is always in the back of my mind. It is what I want to do. It is what I love. It has always been my dream and it still is.

“If I play well for Wasps then hopefully I will get selected - but I won’t play for England if I don’t perform for Wasps so that is my focus.”

England open their autumn campaign against the Pacific Islands before tackling the three southern hemisphere giants - Australia, South Africa and New Zealand - on consecutive weekends.

A relaxed Wilkinson, who also missed the New Zealand tour to undergo shoulder surgery, had returned on top of his game for Newcastle.

But then Wilkinson suffered the latest in a catalogue of injuries with a dislocated knee-cap at Worcester.

The following night Cipriani played 50 minutes and scored 11 points in Wasps’ narrow defeat to Bath.

He sat out the EDF Energy Cup game at Gloucester but will be back for the Heineken Cup clash with Castres on Sunday afternoon.

“The ankle feels really good. I enjoyed it last Wednesday and now I am looking forward to playing Castres,” he said.

“I am hoping to play 70-80 minutes at the weekend. I feel ready, I feel like I can play a much bigger part than I did last week.”

It is a vital game for Wasps after a slow start to the new season - but Cipriani is convinced it will come right at the weekend after the a few choice words from coach Shaun Edwards.

“It will be a massive game. Castres are one of the best teams in France and as a team we have got to come together and move on,” Cipriani said.

“Once we click then the old Wasps will come back. This weekend we are going to see a different side because I can feel things coming together.

“We will be more aggressive, we will run harder and we will have that edge that we lacked. It is about time we stand up and make our fans proud.

“Shaun Edwards has hit home with a few truths and really made a few points clear to some of the guys. We needed it and it needed to be said.

“He will make sure that when we take the field on Sunday it will be the Wasps of old.”