The Standard Cirrus's all-flying tailplane gives it some handling characteristics which you probably won't have encountered
That is a masterful understatement from PCR.
The Standard Cirrus is very sensitive in pitch and it is easy to start a PIO, particularly on takeoff. My way of handling this (applicable to many other gliders too, particularly ones with tall sticks) is to hold the stick a little lower and brace my forearm on my thigh.
In the club that I used to belong to, pilots had to fly many hours in a more conventional single-seater, before being allowed to fly the Standard Cirrus. Having said that, it is a lovely aircraft to fly.
The other issue with the Standard Cirrus is the problem of not properly connecting the tailplane pitch-control link, which is easy to do and has probably fatal consequences.