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Luke Cowan-Dickie leaves England's Portugal training base

By Online Editors
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Luke Cowan-Dickie could miss England’s Guinness Six Nations opener against France on Sunday after returning home from the squad’s Portugal training base for family reasons.

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Cowan-Dickie, Eddie Jones’ second-choice hooker behind Jamie George, departed the Algarve on Tuesday night.

If he is unable to rejoin England in time for Friday’s team announcement, Bath front row Tom Dunn will be given the chance to make his debut off the bench in Paris with Jack Singleton on standby to be called up as cover.

“Luke has returned home for family reasons. We’ve got plans in place just in case he cannot return,” defence coach John Mitchell said.

“We’re hopeful he’ll be back but family comes first so it’s more important to respect the position he’s in. But we’ve got plans in place to cope.”

(Continue reading below…)

The team captains were out in force at the Guinness 2020 Six Nations launch

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Mako Vunipola missed training on Wednesday as a precautionary measure after sustaining a knock to the eye 24 hours earlier but is expected to feature against France. England play their first match since being crushed 32-12 by South Africa in last autumn’s World Cup final – the disappointing climax to an otherwise superb tournament.

They enter the Six Nations as clear favourites and Mitchell, Jones’ number two, insists there is more to come from a team that routed New Zealand in glorious fashion in the semi-finals before crumbling against the Springboks.

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“I’m more disappointed for the lads because you understand how much they put into it. But we’re in the Six Nations now and we have a choice around our mindset,” Mitchell said. “There’s a lot more to come from us. We’re looking for little gains and to build a side that can cope with anything chucked at it.

“The game is demanding a lot of change very quickly, so it’s about our ability to adapt to those situations quickly. The game is getting quicker and we’re very much in a defence cycle and that’s presenting attack with a really big challenge of finding ways to open up defences.”

– Press Association 

WATCH: The Rugby Pod sets the scene ahead of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations and reflects on yet more Saracens fallout  

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Bull Shark 21 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically. I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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