Ex-England prop Dan Cole has revealed his difficulty playing second row for a women\u2019s rugby team, branding it \u201cone of the five most awkward moments of my life\u201d.<\/p>\n
The recently retired front-rower<\/a> also recalled some of his most brutal experiences training on his own to be ready for the dreaded pre-season bronco run at Leicester.<\/p>\n Cole made his women\u2019s team revelation on the latest episode of For The Love Of Rugby<\/a>, the podcast he hosts with his former England and Leicester teammate Ben Youngs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Joining the pair on this week\u2019s show was Maud Muir, the England women\u2019s team prop who is preparing for the Rugby World Cup<\/a> later this month, and she was left amazed by Cole\u2019s outing as a women\u2019s team second row.<\/p>\n \u201cI was the first draft pick\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI played in the second row for a women\u2019s team,\u201d he interjected at one point of the 40-minute show after fellow prop Muir admitted to playing lock on one occasion and that she didn\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say it is one of the five most awkward moments of my life. We went on tour, U16s South Leicester, to Holland. We had a massive group, about 35 of us, and the team we were supposed to play didn\u2019t turn up. So, there was a Belgian women\u2019s team that needed a team to play against.\u201d<\/p>\n Muir couldn\u2019t believe what she was hearing, saying, \u201cSorry, surely this wasn\u2019t allowed?\u201d<\/p>\n Cole quipped: \u201cIt\u2019s allowed, it\u2019s on the continent, it\u2019s liberal. And basically, then they didn\u2019t have enough players. So we all lined up, and they obviously had a good scout because I was the first draft pick.<\/p>\n England EPS contracts: Five takeaways as Henry Pollock \u2018hits jackpot\u2019 while Saracens star \u2018axed\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI played in their team, but I got put in the second row and A, my head got crushed and B, the bind situation as a 15, 16-year-old kid, that was awkward.<\/p>\n \u201cThere isn\u2019t any footage, but there is a picture someone online of me wearing the opposition kit, but you wouldn\u2019t recognise me as I have got hair.\u201d<\/p>\n Muir then asked: \u201cSo the women were in the front row, and you were in the second row?\u201d After Cole said yes, she exclaimed: \u201cWow!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo yeah, I\u2019ve played there, I feel your pain,\u201d Cole continued. \u201cMy head got crushed. Yeah, second row is an awkward place to play.\u201d<\/p>\n Eddie Jones: I inherited Rassie Erasmus\u2019 Springbok laptop, I couldn\u2019t believe my eyes<\/a><\/p>\n