WORLD’S TOUGHEST TOUCHDOWN: DANNY CIPRIANI AND DYLAN HARTLEY IN AMERICAN FOOTBALL JEEP WRANGLER TRICK SHOT CHALLENGE

Rugby aces Dylan Hartley and Danny Cipriani have gone head-to-head in the world’s toughest American football trick shot challenge to mark England’s upcoming semi-final showdown and American football in London this weekend.

Patrick Daley, the starting quarterback of the Great Britain Lions team, was tasked with teaching his rugby-playing counterparts to throw the perfect ‘spiral’, US style, into the back of a moving Jeep Wrangler from the roof of a derelict building in London Docklands. After multiple attempts it was Hartley who came out on top in the first challenge, successfully throwing the ball a full 50 yards from the rooftop into the back of the legendary off-roader. Cipriani came close on two occasions hitting the bonnet and side of the vehicle.

Patrick’s older brother Jack, who plays as kicker for London Blitz American football team, then challenged the duo to replicate the challenge, but this time with the boot. As expected, Cipriani displayed his superior kicking skills punting the ball an incredible 60 yards onto the Wrangler’s bonnet.

The final challenge saw the players throw a Hail Mary pass like no other. First up Patrick effortlessly passed the ball into the boot of the Wrangler as it drove past him. Hartley and Cipriani followed up with a number of efforts but it was Hartley who eventually triumphed crowning him victor of the trick shot challenge.

“I’m a big American football fan having spent some time with a team over in the US taking part in a training session,” said Cipriani. “So, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to spend the day mucking around with an American football while trying to get one over Dylan and attempting some epic trick shots into the back of a moving Wrangler.”

Hartley add: “Most of my time at the moment is spent doing injury rehab so it’s been nice to do something a bit different. There’s definitely some transferable skills between rugby and American football – although attempting to get an American football into the back of a moving Jeep Wrangler made the learning process more complicated!”