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'He's basically going around giving stick to every injured player'

(Photo by Dan Mullan/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Luke Cowan-Dickie was forced to miss the Autumn Nations Series with England due to a significant ankle ligament injury, but Exeter boss Rob Baxter has reported that his hooker is now back and firing at his best following his inclusion in the 36-strong national team squad that will assemble in Brighton next Monday for a week’s training. 

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The injury arrived at an unfortunate time for the 28-year-old. Having played second fiddle to Jamie George for numerous years, he claimed the No2 England shirt on merit during the 2021 Six Nations and he went on to eclipse his fellow Englishman when they pair subsequently toured South Africa with the Lions.   

With George then omitted from the original England squad for the Six Nations, the way was clear for Cowan-Dickie to consolidate his newfound status as the first-choice hooker. However, injury with Exeter in the Gallagher Premiership resulted in him having to pull out, a development that allowed George to get a recall and go on to start the games versus Tonga and Australia.   

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Rob Kearney and Alfie Barbeary – a Lion and Wasp

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Cowan-Dickie, though, put his layoff to positive use at the Chiefs and Rob Baxter this week enthused about the attitude of a player whose vibrant energy came in handy in helping Exeter to overcome some early-season inconsistencies and enjoy some welcome good form in recent weeks.

“He is flat out again now,” reported Baxter regarding Cowan-Dickie, the Exeter forward who is one of three hookers in the latest England squad alongside George and Jamie Blamire, who took the starting short for the series-ending finale versus South Africa in November.  

“He actually used his injury period to restrengthen a few things. He lost a little body fat, gained a little bit of muscularity which is harder to do when you are playing, so he looks in great physical shape. He has certainly recharged his energy and emotional batteries and he looks like a really interesting character. When he is injured in the last two, three weeks of his rehab he is basically going around giving stick to every injured player telling them why aren’t they on the pitch playing because has got a proper injury and they are just dragging it out and they have just got a sore toe or something like that.

“He is actually quite a good person walking around the changing room telling people to get on the pitch and train because if he wasn’t injured he would be. And sometimes those kinds of things, you start to feel restless energy from him at the end stage of any injury rehab and that means he is virtually nearly always ready to go. 

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“Within a week of being declared fit and in full training he is pretty much banging down the door asking me why is he not being picked and why wasn’t he picked two weeks ago. He even walks past in a plaster cast sometimes thinking I’ll be available this week if I can get this taken off on Wednesday. That is how he is and that kind of vibrant energy is what you want around a rugby club. It brings everybody through and that is the thing he just adds around the place.”

One thing that England boss successfully did for the autumn was to bolster the senior leadership group around skipper Owen Farrell. Courtney Lawes, who wound up being the matchday skipper in Farrell’s absence against Tonga and South Africa, Ellis Genge and Tom Curry were chosen as vice-captains and but for his injury, Cowan-Dickie would have been included in this select group who set the standards during camp.   

That, reckoned Baxter, would have been a just reward for Exeter front-rower Cowan-Dickie in “rounding off the package” of what he brings to a squad. “There is a lot of things about it that just make it [leadership] quite natural for him. He is actually quite a natural leader in a lot of ways around the club for years and has been in certain elements. 

“But what you are seeing is it is becoming more across the board. The whole thing about leading a group to see things in a certain way, moving forward now that environment needs to be created in training as well and across other elements that are outside the game because one thing you can always say about Luke is he has always been a match-animal, it has always been about the game and his performance levels have never wavered in a game. 

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“His full-blooded commitment in every single game has never wavered. He would admit himself he has not always been the archetypal professional off the field in giving himself the best chance to be the absolute best player he can on the field and those are just some of the things that just evened out as he matured as a player and become more experienced, and that is what has started to round him off as more of a leader. 

“He has still got that natural, aggressive leadership, ‘C’mon, we are going to go out there to fight for this’ type element about him as well, but if you want to lead like that then you have got to set examples in other things that you do as well. That is what he has got, he is just rounding off the package.” 

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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