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Another plot twist rocks Luke Cowan-Dickie's French move

(Photo by Ryan Hiscott - Pool/Getty Images)

French media are once again reporting that Luke Cowan-Dickie could be set to find himself without a club for next season after Montpellier cancelled his contract.

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The Exeter hooker’s move to the French club has been under scrutiny in recent weeks due to a legacy neck injury, with stringent local laws meaning there are question marks over his ability to play professional rugby in France.

Last month Cowan-Dickie missed a scheduled medical examination with Montpellier – allegedly after a boozy night on the tiles – which caused doubts about his transfer in the French press. While the situation was downplayed as a media-lead exaggeration by Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter, it appears the deal may have hit the rocks once again.

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The Exeter hooker’s rescheduled medical examination was scheduled last week, and according to a report by Midi Olympique, the result was ‘inconclusive’. Reports claim that this will force Montpellier to cancel the player’s two-year contract, with an option for a third year, due to the neck injury, which has affected the strength of his right arm.

The 29-year-old had been out of action with an ankle injury he sustained in January, and he missed the rest of the season for Exeter Chiefs as well as England’s Six Nations campaign.

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The medical examination was necessary to provide conclusive proof that the neck injury is not a rated G3, which means that he cannot sign with a French team until his injury is no longer rated G3.

There is precedence for returning from such a ruling to play in France – Christopher Tolofua returned to Toulon after a year with Saracens in which he overcame a G3 ruling over a neck issue.

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While the cancellation of his contract with Montpellier leaves Cowan-Dickie without a club, it does not mean that he will be forced into retirement. The player may still have opportunities to play in other leagues like the Premiership, URC or Japan or return to Exeter Chiefs with his tail between his legs. He could also, as with Tolofua, seek to have the issue rehabilitated and return to France down the line.

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M
MS 41 minutes ago
Why Blair Kinghorn should be nailed on as the Lions starting 15

I can see arguments for both Kinghorn, and Keenan starting for the Lions. But I’m less convinced by some of the claims (clearly partisan) supporters are using to argue the merits of one over the other.


For example, a number of Ireland supporters have suggested Kinghorn is ‘defensively weak’. That’s patently false - or at least on the evidence of this 6N, he’s certainly no weaker there than Keenan is, who is presumably the comparative standard they’re using. Keenan was both shrugged off in contact, and beaten on the edge for pace, a number of times during this competition.


Equally, Scotland supporters arguing Kinghorn is the more capable ‘rugby player’ seem to have overlooked the (frankly sizeable) body of evidence demonstrating that Keenan is an excellent ball in hand distributor and decision maker. So that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny either.


I don’t think there’s all that much to choose between them, and either would be a strong choice. I think it would be really interesting from a pure rugby perspective to see Keenan playing a ‘Scotland-esque’ style of high tempo attacking rugby. Either coming into the line more routinely as first receiver, or being swung as a pendulum and getting the ball on the edge against a stretched defence.


That’s assuming Andy Farrell goes that route, of course. He may well just opt for his Ireland system instead, and populate it with the likes of Henshaw, Ringrose, Lowe and Keenan. I’m sure that would win the series. Quite what effect it might have on a Lions audience who were expecting something other than ‘Ireland on tour, but wearing red’ would remain to be seen.


As for the debate at FB, the only ‘eye test’ difference I feel exists is in the pace of rugby Kinghorn (Toulouse? Scotland?) tends to play. His passing/offload game feels crisper and higher tempo than Keenan’s - and as we saw in Paris, his pace and eye for a gap from deep are superior.


But again, that will only prove a decisive factor if Andy Farrell wants to play that way. If all he wants from his FB is to sit deep, field high balls, and mop up then there’s little between these two equally excellent players.

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