Luke Cowan-Dickie admits he feared he would never join England’s 50-cap club
Luke Cowan-Dickie is poised to join England’s 50-cap club admitting injury and an encounter with rugby’s judiciary left him fearing the day would never come.
Cowan-Dickie will reach the milestone against Australia off the bench in today’s autumn opener at Allianz Stadium in what will be a triumph of resilience having made his Test debut in 2015.
Two years ago, he suffered nerve damage in his right arm when a routine decompression surgery to his neck went wrong and it was 16 months before he could play at a reasonable level.
An episode of the heart condition atrial fibrillation when playing for Sale also caused alarm, while last week he faced a disciplinary hearing after receiving a 20-minute red card for a dangerous tackle on Saracens’ Tom Willis.
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 13:40
England and Australia’s contrasting preparations
“We’ve got four sessions, they’ve got four months. That’s fact,” said Steve Borthwick earlier this week as he reflected on his lack of preparation time for a four-match autumn series that also features fixtures against Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina.
The Wallabies have played 11 matches so far this year compared to England’s eight, the most recent of which was last Saturday’s 19-15 victory over Japan in Tokyo.
However, James O’Connor, Len Ikitau, Tom Hooper and Will Skelton are unavailable because the game falls outside the international window and Australia head coach Joe Schmidt countered that he is looking at England’s schedule enviously.
“This year we have 15 Test matches across 20 weeks, in eight countries, in 10 different time zones. I’d be happy to swap that for four training sessions, to be honest,” he said.
Australia boss Joe Schmidt does not believe his side have had an advantage in terms of preparation (Getty Images)
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 13:30
Tane Edmed starts at fly half for Australia
The Australia fly half situation remains a little bit of messy, with neither Noah Lolesio nor Tom Lynagh on this European tour after their problems with concussion earlier this year, and James O’Connor unavailable for this game at least having moved to Leicester. To compound matters, Carter Gordon is not yet fit enough to feature after moving back to rugby union from the NRL – leaving Tane Edmed, who was playing club rugby in Sydney earlier in 2025, to take the reins.
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 13:20
Lewis Moody’s legendary bravery on the rugby pitch can fuel MND fight
After Lewis Moody’s diagnosis was announced, Luke Baker celebrated the character of a special rugby player and special man:
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 13:10
Lewis Moody set for emotional Twickenham return for England v Australia after MND diagnosis
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 13:00
England v Australia
A general view before the Quilter Nations Series match at the Allianz Stadium Twickenham, London (Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
Allianz Stadium ahead of England v Australia (Action Images via Reuters)
Jack Rathborn1 November 2025 12:55
Australia were in action in Tokyo last weekend, surviving a scare and a sloppy performance against a familiar foe as Eddie Jones’s Japan fell just short.
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 12:50
Why Henry Pollock could feature on the wing for England this autumn
Henry Pollock was one of those we picked out as the young back row embarks on his first full campaign as an England squad member. Steve Borthwick is sure to give the 20-year-old plenty of run on the flank and at No 8 – but is also asking him to work on his wing skills, too.
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 12:40
Henry Pollock, Carter Gordon and 10 other international rugby players to watch in November
Want to know who to keep your eye on over these next few weeks? We’ve picked out a player from each of the world’s top 12 nations worth watching:
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 12:30
England captain Maro Itoje targets perfect autumn before eyes turn to World Cup
Maro Itoje is targeting a clean sweep of four Test wins this autumn as the England captain begins the countdown to the 2027 World Cup.
Joe Schmidt’s resurgent Australia visit Allianz Stadium today to launch a series which is completed by fixtures against Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina.
The All Blacks provide the blockbuster opposition of the campaign on November 15, but dangerous Fiji won on their last visit to Twickenham in 2023 while the Pumas are a force on the global stage once more.
“There’s not a team we’re playing who we can’t beat,” British and Irish Lions skipper Itoje said.
Harry Latham-Coyle1 November 2025 12:20