Cowan-Dickie injury update

By Mark Stevens
19/10/21

Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, is hopeful hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie will return to action ahead of the Christmas period following scans undertaken this week.

The England and British & Irish Lions forward was forced to withdraw from Eddie Jones’ squad for the upcoming Autumn Test Series on Tuesday after damaging ankle ligaments in last weekend’s Gallagher Premiership victory away to Wasps.

However, Baxter was today able to give a detailed update on the condition of the 28-year-old Cornishman.

“He’s had a scan and the good news is he doesn’t need an operation,” said Baxter. “It’s a significant injury that will keep him out of the autumn internationals but, hopefully, we will see him back pre-Europe.

“It’s a blow for us, obviously, but he would only have had this weekend’s game and then gone away with England. It’s more of a blow for Luke and England in an odd way. Now, we’ll look to get him through his rehab and then back firing to play again.

“That’s how we will look at it and if he plays well through Christmas, which includes those big European fixtures, then it will certainly put him back in the ring seat for England and the Six Nations.”

Cowan-Dickie, who started two of the three Tests this summer for the British & Irish Lions, had only just returned to club action having had to undergo the mandatory rest period for players involved in Warren Gatland’s touring squad.

“Luke is genuinely disappointed with it all,” explained Baxter. “He’s worked exceptionally hard; done a lot of good things, both physically and mentally, to breakthrough and get where he is. He was the starting hooker for two of the tests for the Lions and he’s got himself involved in the England leadership group, so he’s worked hard to get there. Now, to have that taken away when he has got there, that’s tough.

“Thankfully, the good news is that it’s not a season-ending injury or one that is going to have a significant impact on his career. Yes, he’ll miss out on this small window of international rugby, but I’m confident he should be fighting fit in the next six to eight weeks, where he can not only play in some big games for us, but he can get himself back in that Six Nations mix, which will probably be the bigger thing in terms of cementing his future within the England team.”