The debate over whether England should be building their team around Jonny Wilkinson or Danny Cipriani was ended for the foreseeable future yesterday when the Wasps starlet was ejected from their squad for "inappropriate behaviour".

He was pictured coming out of a London nightclub in the early hours of yesterday morning and consequently misses the biggest opportunity of his career, having been selected in his country's starting XV for the first time. It is an act of folly almost beyond comprehension.

A statement from the English rugby union explained: "Further to inappropriate behaviour last night by England and London Wasps back Danny Cipriani, England head coach Brian Ashton has decided to replace him in the starting XV for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations fixture against Scotland with Gloucester's Iain Balshaw. Charlie Hodgson of Sale Sharks has been added to the bench.

"No further disciplinary action will be taken against Danny but he has been warned and advised about his future conduct."

Ashton said: "I've taken the decision and the matter is now closed. I will keep an open mind on selecting him for future games."

The contrast with the professionalism which brought Wilkinson back from the wilderness to make one of sport's greatest ever comebacks in the corresponding fixture a year ago could hardly have been more striking.

The man who had won the World Cup for his country in 2003 had not played for England since that day, but nevertheless put in a stunning, match-winning performance in scoring 27 points against Scotland on a return from injury that many had thought would never happen.

Yet incomprehensibly, doubts about his influence remained, even after he returned again to the team midway through what was looking like a catastrophic defence of their World Cup title, to drag them into the final against all odds.

Consequently, those beguiled by Cipriani's talent have been campaigning for the 20-year-old to be installed as playmaker in an England team they would like to play more stylishly, but which is, as ever, at its best when focused, disciplined and efficient.

The pressure had resulted in something of a compromise, with Ashton dropping Balshaw from a winning team to accommodate both players.

Cipriani, for whom this is apparently far from a first offence, even though he has been in the public eye for little more than a year since breaking into the Wasps first team, has let his champions down in a way Wilkinson would never have done.

Not the first young sportsman to have his head turned by the limelight, he could learn much more from his rival about the benefits of assiduous practice and willingness to make the sort of sacrifices expected of the true professional.

His club Wasps claimed the England management over-reacted, an attitude in keeping with the way Ian McGeechan, their director of rugby, pampers big-name players. Officials at the club might think they are doing Cipriani a favour, but they are not.

They should instead be inviting him to compare his attitude with Wilkinson's, since it is inconceivable that the Newcastle Falcons player would ever have blown such an opportunity at any stage in his career in such a way.

The bad news for Scotland is that a player who has tormented them at regular intervals over the past decade, is reinstalled as the undisputed kingpin of the team visiting Murrayfield tomorrow.

Normally such disruption to a team at this stage in the build-up to a Test match would be seen as disruptive, but with Balshaw's recall, they are now fielding the same back line as played in the win over France in Paris.

More to the point, there should be no risk of confusion about their approach tomorrow and it can only be a source of concern to a struggling Scotland squad that England will turn up at Murrayfield once again ready to play the Wilko way.