Wasps star Danny Cipriani linked up with the England squad today and warned Jonny Wilkinson: "I am not here as number two."

Cipriani has always set himself bold challenges - when he was 15 it was to make England's 2007 World Cup squad - but the latest is just about as big as they come.

Wilkinson is expected to be a guaranteed starter for England in the RBS 6 Nations Championship and it will take a special talent to oust him from that number-10 jersey.

But Cipriani is seen by many as the man to do it. Wales coach Warren Gatland recently predicted the 20-year-old could even become a bigger superstar than Wilkinson.

Cipriani allows none of that hype to faze him and is instead determined to learn all he can from Wilkinson - but also put the pressure on.

"It is obviously going to be a massive task to oust Jonny, he has done everything in the game but I am not coming here as number two," said Cipriani.

"It is understandable that whenever Jonny has been fit he has started for England because he has done an amazing job.

"Jonny has changed the face of rugby by himself. If I can learn from Jonny that will help me.

"I will give it my best shot to improve. I need to make sure there are no doubts about me as a player.

"If I was to have a chance to start a game I would do that to the best of my ability.

"It is great to hear people like Warren say things like that - but in my eyes I haven't made it yet. I want to get an England cap and then one day be a regular starter."

Wilkinson, who has signed a new two-year contract at Newcastle, was only 18 when Clive Woodward gave him his England debut in 1998.

Cipriani is 20 but has been long tipped as an England international and, at Wasps, has been learning at the top end of European rugby.

Last season, he started at full-back in the Heineken Cup final and only missed out on the World Cup squad - and achieving that long-held ambition - when the final cut was made.

This campaign, Cipriani has made the Wasps fly-half jersey his own and is confident he can match the demands of Test rugby.

"No matter if you are 19 or 35 you have to be the general of the side. Imagine trying to boss Lawrence Dallaglio about - but that is what I have had to do," said Cipriani.

"There are World Cup winners throughout the side. I have played in some pretty big games and Josh Lewsey said the Heineken Cup final was the same intensity as international level.

"Being here and being around all the England players is what I have always thought about - but I still won't feel fulfilled until I get that first cap.

"And then I will be striving for more."

Cipriani trained with England at Twickenham today - the only time head coach Brian Ashton has his players until the squad link up ahead of the opening Wales game next week.

England have significant injury concerns over winger Paul Sackey, who is suffering from a suspected case of mumps, lock Simon Shaw and scrum-half Pete Richards.

Sackey withdrew from Wasps' game at Munster on Sunday after showing the first symptoms and the local Health Protection Agency are helping to confirm the diagnosis, which is expected on Tuesday.

Shaw injured his ankle against Munster and is awaiting the results of an MRI scan, though he does not believe the injury to be as bad as first feared.

Richards saw a specialist today after injuring the tendon in his left bicep during London Irish's Heineken Cup win at Treviso.

As a result, Richards' Exiles team-mate Paul Hodgson was called in to join the training session along with Gloucester number eight Luke Narraway and Bath flanker Michael Lipman.

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