Latest news with #LukeCowan-Dickie
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
British & Irish Lions squad 2025: the chosen 38 players
Hookers Luke Cowan-Dickie Back in the England fold after a two-year injury absence. Played in all of England's Six Nations matches, starting four, winning the nod, as here, over Jamie George, England's previous captain. Also involved in every Test in South Africa in 2021, starting the first two. A handful around the park with much-improved technical skills. Advertisement Sale and England Age 31 Caps 49 Lions caps 3 Rónan Kelleher We thought he might be Ireland's hooker for the foreseeable when he made his debut in the 2020 Six Nations, a few months after Rory Best retired. And then along came Sheehan. Kelleher does not have his Leinster teammate's pace (what front-row forward does?) but he is rock solid at the important bits. Leinster and Ireland Age 28 Caps 39 Dan Sheehan If he is fit, he will surely start the Tests. Has captained Ireland and racked up 13 Six Nations tries, comfortably the most by any forward. And that's because he has the pace and power to terrify anyone, whatever their position. Leinster's elimination from the Champions Cup will hurt – and hopefully spur. Advertisement Leinster and Ireland Age 26 Caps 32 Props Zander Fagerson Played for Glasgow at 18 and Scotland at 20 and has formed the cornerstone of both more or less ever since. Currently injured, so a show of faith from Farrell. If Scotland are more about the flashy backs these days, they would really be at sea without this fellow where the sun don't shine. Glasgow and Scotland Age 29 Caps 75 Tadhg Furlong The man in possession and no obvious reason why he wouldn't stay as such if fit. He has started all of the Lions' last six Tests, across two tours, to New Zealand and South Africa. To do so again would complete a nice set. He did miss most of the Six Nations with a calf niggle, though. Advertisement Leinster and Ireland Age 32 Caps 79 Lions caps 6 Ellis Genge The Lions won't lack for leadership – but it is easy to forget this larger-than-life personality led Leicester to a Premiership title not so long ago. Indeed, he was England's vice-captain during the Six Nations. Not that such gravitas stops him charging round the pitch like someone much less grown-up. Bristol and England Age 30 Caps 71 Andrew Porter His feats in the gym did much to secure his early reputation, but hardly anyone talks about that now, such is his prowess on the field. He has played at the highest level on both sides of the scrum, always handy in a tourist, but as a loosehead he has found a licence to rampage in the loose too. Advertisement Leinster and Ireland Age 29 Caps 75 Pierre Schoeman You know when he has the ball because his adoring fans cry 'Schooooooo'. He came to Edinburgh in 2018 from the high veldt of South Africa, one of the last to qualify under the old three-year residency rule. As soon as he was eligible he was in the Scotland team. Edinburgh and Scotland Age 31 Caps 42 Will Stuart The prop's prop. He has bided his time in the shadow of more obviously charismatic rivals at tighthead, but he came into his own in this year's Six Nations, being named in the official team of the championship. Australia have a long-standing phobia of big England props. Here comes the latest. Advertisement Bath and England Age 28 Caps 50 Locks Tadhg Beirne If the distinction between lock and back-row forward is increasingly blurred in the modern game, this guy embodies that trend as much as anyone. Comfortable in the second or back rows. Comfortable leaping in the air, comfortable grappling in the godforsaken nooks and crannies, comfortable in the wide-open spaces. Munster and Ireland Age 33 Caps 61 Lions caps 2 Ollie Chessum Another of these multi-purpose forwards. They really come into their own on a Lions tour. Chessum had a bad run of injuries at the back end of last year, but by round three of the Six Nations he was back in England's engine room and revving. Advertisement Leicester and England Age 24 Caps 28 Scott Cummings A testament to him that he should be selected for this after such little rugby at the highest level this season. Fell victim to one of the more ridiculous red cards in the autumn, then missed the entire Six Nations with a broken arm. Sorely missed then, a figure of gravitas in Scotland's tight five. Glasgow and Scotland Age 28 Caps 48 Maro Itoje (captain) He has finally consummated the 'Future England Captain' tag that was foisted on him from a young age. And he wears it well. Back to his best this Six Nations, his first as England captain, he now strides on to a stage he knows well as captain there too. Now is his time. Advertisement Saracens and England Age 30 Caps 90 Lions caps 6 Joe McCarthy Try saying his name without breaking into a rendition of Vanessa Paradis's 80s hit, 'Joe le Taxi'. Back to the rugby, he made his name as the star of Ireland's hugely impressive win in Marseille to launch their grand-slam campaign last year, so soon after another disappointing World Cup. The Leinster production line keeps rolling. Leinster and Ireland Age 24 Caps 19 James Ryan At least some players remain specialist locks. Ryan is an understated but influential technician of the set-pieces. Which is not to say he cannot gallop with the best of them. Indeed he scored on his Ireland debut which, unusually, came before his Leinster one. Another with a taste for captaincy. Advertisement Leinster and Ireland Age 28 Caps 72 Back row Jack Conan Started all three Tests in South Africa last time out. With Caelan Doris missing, his chances of repeating the trick have shot up, probably vying with Ben Earl for the No 8 jersey. A good old-fashioned, snarling back-row forward, who packs quite the punch with ball in hand. Leinster and Ireland Age 32 Caps 51 Lions caps 3 Tom Curry Classical openside in a modern era. Which means punishment and lots of it. Almost inhuman amounts. Extraordinary how he rides it all and still produces world-class performances in attack and defence. Has had stem-cell treatment on a chronic bone condition in his hip. So a link between the past and future, as much as between backs and forwards. Advertisement Sale and England Age 26 Caps 61 Lions caps 3 Ben Earl Comfortable at the base of the scrum or on the flank, his explosiveness is an asset anywhere – including the centre, where England have deployed him. Then there's the niggle, celebrating every little scrum win as if it were a World Cup. Must be a nightmare to play against – and thus a dream to play with. Saracens and England Age 27 Caps 42 Josh van der Flier It seems they hand out player of the series awards for any old collection of matches these days, but Van der Flier collects more than most. And his gong for world player of the year in 2022 puts him among quite the elite. He scores tries, makes tackles, wins turnovers and never stops running. Advertisement Leinster and Ireland Age 32 Caps 73 Jac Morgan Amid Wales's recent tribulations, Morgan has stood out as a player and a man. Co-captain for Wales's World Cup campaign at the age of 23, he pretty much fulfilled the role on the field alone. Now captain outright. Barrel-chested and explosive, he will contend with a few others answering to that description. Ospreys and Wales Age 25 Caps 18 Henry Pollock There will be bumps along the road (surely) but for now this kid is a sprinting, bristling advert for doing whatever comes naturally – in his case playing rugby without fear. More Test tries (two) than halves of Test rugby (nearly one) at the moment. An outrageous selection for this tour. But an increasingly undeniable one. Advertisement Northampton and England Age 20 Caps 1 Scrum-halfs Jamison Gibson-Park If we in the north were to think long enough about how someone who didn't make the All Blacks went on to become one of the very best up here, we might get a little depressed. Or maybe the Irish just understand him better. Either way, he's a gem and likely to start the Tests. Leinster and Ireland Age 33 Caps 43 Alex Mitchell Northampton win the Premiership with him at No 9. They slump when he is injured earlier this season. He returns and they win all their Champions Cup games. In short, he's one of those heartbeat players. All the management skills of your petit general-type scrum-halfs and the pace of those quicksilver ones. Advertisement Northampton and England Age 27 Caps 23 Tomos Williams These are not halcyon times for Welsh rugby, but Williams remains beyond reproach. In the Premiership where teams are, shall we say, more evenly matched, he repeatedly stars for Gloucester, winning multiple match awards and turning sides inside out with his pace and derring-do. Gloucester and Wales Age 30 Caps 63 Fly-halfs Finn Russell Time is ticking by and he must know it. After a decade of sublime brilliance the maestro must yearn for achievements more concrete. He has a title from his formative years at Glasgow and is looking good for two finals with Bath in the next few weeks. Some more silverware there would be great for his tour. Advertisement Bath and Scotland Age 32 Caps 87 Lions caps 1 Fin Smith Suddenly England's steady hand on the tiller, even though he's three years younger than the maverick, uncut option of namesake Marcus. His stock is higher still after the role he played in Northampton's undoing of star-studded Leinster on Saturday. One of those who just get rugby. Northampton and England Age 22 Caps 11 Marcus Smith Despite a recent ankle injury Smith proved an irresistible selection. Now no longer the precocious youngster, he enters the mid-stage of his career with the extra asset of versatility. England deploy him at full-back as often as not these days. Wherever it is, he turns heads – including those of his opponents. Advertisement Harlequins and England Age 26 Caps 44 Centres Bundee Aki Of the triumvirate in seemingly perpetual competition for a place in Ireland's centres, Aki has proved the most eye-catching. Rugby is not always about the most obvious, but when someone throws their considerable weight around like Aki does, it looks good because it really is good. Don't overthink it. Get him in your team. Connacht and Ireland Age 35 Caps 65 Lions caps 1 Huw Jones The purveyor of rugby with a smile on its face. Even if he might not always be grinning widely as he slashes his way through opposition defences, it feels as if he is. The speed and footwork are outrageous. He'll be a popular tourist, certainly among those who have paid good money for a ticket. Advertisement Glasgow and Scotland Age 31 Caps 58 Garry Ringrose Long been a classy operator in the outside-centre channel, where Brian O'Driscoll was once so indispensable to Ireland. Glides through defences like the old maestro and reads opposition attacks just as astutely. His comfort in that fabled No 13 shirt is as much tribute to him as Ireland's uptick in titles since he donned it. Leinster and Ireland Age 30 Caps 67 Sione Tuipulotu Big vote of confidence. A pectoral injury denied him a chance to lead Scotland in the Six Nations. Due to make his comeback this weekend, for Glasgow, he has already impressed Farrell enough to bring him straight in. And no wonder. Was the form centre only a few months ago. Advertisement Glasgow and Scotland Age 27 Caps 30 Wings Tommy Freeman The thinking man's winger. Not as lightning quick as some but reads the game like few others. Given his try-scoring exploits (a try in every round of the Six Nations, three against Leinster last weekend), easy to forget he started life as a full-back. Also fancied in the 13 shirt. Class wherever he plays. Northampton and England Age 24 Caps 20 Mack Hansen A maverick who will prove very hard to defend against, however well they might feel they know him in his native Australia. Injury means he won't play again before the tour starts and has disrupted his last two Six Nations, but he is worth gamble. Anything can happen when he's on the ball. Advertisement Connacht and Ireland Age 27 Caps 28 James Lowe Another of Ireland's beloved New Zealanders, he was fast-tracked into international rugby as soon as eligible, in 2020. Deadly with ball in hand, waving it around like a wand as he feints this way and that. Also pretty devastating with ball off foot, launching enormous punts to all corners. Leinster and Ireland Age 32 Caps 40 Duhan van der Merwe Not much arguing with this fellow in full flight. Huge and quick, he is in an enthralling duel with the very differently-sized Darcy Graham to be Scotland's top try-scorer. He currently leads by one. Expect him to add a Lions try or two to his collection. Started all three Lions Tests in 2021. Advertisement Edinburgh and Scotland Age 29 Caps 49 Lions caps 3 Full-backs Elliot Daly A perfect tourist. Versatile, deadly and able to land kicks from great distances. He is also vastly experienced. He started every match on the 2017 tour to New Zealand and picked up a further two Test caps in 2021. As France can testify, his pace and power are as lethal as ever. Saracens and England Age 32 Caps 73 Lions caps 5 Hugo Keenan One of those electric types who had a schooling on the sevens circuit. Soon he was wowing the fans of Leinster and Ireland, just as they were coming to terms with the retirement of Rob Kearney. Has been a fixture ever since, missing only four Six Nations matches in the last five years. Advertisement Leinster and Ireland Age 28 Caps 46 Blair Kinghorn Not only would he miss start of tour if Toulouse make the Top 14 final, as expected, he is also injured. Such is his importance, Farrell has picked him anyway. A Rolls Royce of a full-back who can play wing or fly-half and kick goals. Rock-solid under the high ball and rangy on the gallop. Toulouse and Scotland Age 28 Caps 60
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jamie George both to score a try tonight BOOSTED to 8/1 - as Sale and Saracens meet in a crucial Gallagher Premiership clash
Sale and Saracens go head-to-head in a pivotal Gallagher Premiership clash tonight - as both sides are in the race for a playoff spot with just four regular season fixtures remaining. Sale currently sit fourth in the table, while Saracens are in fifth. Both sides are on 44 points however the Sharks' boast the better points differential of the two teams. The Sharks are tipped to get the job done on home soil - with Tom Hudson's side entering the game as an 8/11 favourite. Conversely, Saracens are 6/5 underdogs and a draw is priced at 20/1. Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jamie George both to score a try tonight BOOSTED to 8/1 with Sky Bet In addition to the above market - Sky Bet are offering three Price Boosts for this crucial clash. The first two boosts require both teams to score 20+ points each and Sale to win at 11/4, and each team to score 10+ points in each half at 9/2. Regarding the above boosts - Saracens and Sale both scored 20+ points when these two sides last met. Meanwhile, the third and final boost needs Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jamie George both to score a try at 8/1. Cowan-Dickie and George have scored nine tries each for club and country to date this season. Sky Bet odds for Sale vs Saracens: Sale 8/11 Saracens 6/5 Drawn Match 20/1 Sky Bet Price Boosts for Sale vs Saracens: Both teams to score 20+ points each and Sale to win WAS 9/4 NOW 11/4 Each team to score 10+ points in each half WAS 7/2 NOW 9/2 Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jamie George both to score a try WAS 6/1 NOW 8/1
BBC News
09-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
England shine in the sun but Cardiff cauldron awaits
Perhaps not Sevens weather, but there was a definite post-season play-offs feel as the team buses rolled into the Twickenham car shed layers for shades as the sun shone on south-west London and with a change of season in the air, England needed to show a spring in their standings demanded it. With a free-scoring France now making the pace at the top of the table, a bonus point would bolster England's - admittedly slim - chances of a title importantly though, the public required it. After the strength of the opposition, the situation of the game and the severity of the conditions had variously been blamed for England's inability to deliver running rugby, this was a day that invited ambition and pre-match record against Italy was as pristine as the Twickenham turf, with 31 unanswered Ben Earl galloped clear on the final play to add a seventh try, pump the winning margin to 23 points and make it 32 straight successes, it felt like the hosts had lived up to the occasion."We were trying to play a lot more," said Luke Cowan-Dickie. "We got seven tries so something went right.""We tried to attack from anywhere. We knew it was going to be risky, but we want to show the fans that we don't want to kick as much and play with the ball.""Us as players decided just to beat people, score more tries and be more aggressive with the ball," added wing Ollie Sleightholme, who crossed twice for the was clear. England kicked 31 times, but carried 145 times. Against Scotland last time out, they kicked five times more and carried 67 times fewer.A remarkable shift, even allowing for the change in isn't a tactic that comes naturally to England's coaching staff, whose Premiership triumph with Leicester in 2022 came via grindingly accurate percentage rugby and a barrage of even with the near-wholesale adoption of a Northampton backline which won the 2024 domestic crown in more style, England's attack took time to throw off the ring rust.A duff pass from Tommy Freeman drew the first groan from the stands inside 30 seconds. Earl was pounced on for a turnover shortly much of the first half Italy snapped and fizzed with more danger, throwing cleverer shapes and more accurate passes. But England, as the old adage goes, earned the right to play before exercising it well in the second Smith, who started the campaign as England's attacking talisman but began this match on the bench, was defensive ability has been questioned, but his tackle on Matt Gallagher early in the second half as the Italy wing loomed out wide was impeccable in intent and minutes later he picked his moment in attack perfectly too, timing his run off Tom Curry's shoulder to scamper in. A twin-moment, 10-point swing, that critical passage eased the pressure and allow England to loosen up their Sleightholme dotted down his second it was via a party game of a passing move, with England's forwards improvising increasingly outlandish then the Italy defence had faded. It was still streets behind the out-worldly handling France showed off in Dublin the day it was a definite step up by pluses are multiple for head coach Steve Borthwick. Fin Smith, sharp shooting off the tee, put in another cool-headed performance at fly-half, pulling strings and making plays. Fraser Dingwall, forced into an unexpected centre combination by Lawrence's injury, was smart enough to find a way. Elliot Daly, the other half of that makeshift midfield, worked the angles superbly. The 32-year-old's abilities, grey matter as much as fast twitch, will age slowly and Chessum, Tom Curry and Earl ranged wide, far and effectively. Ben Curry and Chandler Cunningham-South added energy from the George felt the love as the crowd took to their feet to clap him on and off the pitch on his 100th appearance for England. He and his front-row colleagues had the best of the set-piece once will be tougher days and more stringent tests on the final day, will probably be one of have stirred themselves under Matt Sherratt. The prospect of wrecking England's title pretensions, while dodging the Wooden Spoon will brew up an almighty atmosphere under the Principality sunlight and support won't be nearly so plentiful next week. There won't be much of either for England in that city-centre cauldron. It will be a very different challenge is to deliver a similar result -and hope France might wobble and the trophy tips unexpectedly their way.
