Luke Cowan-Dickie: England hooker reflects on injury struggles ahead of Autumn Nations - 'I've had a terrible time'
ByOli Gent
Published 26/10/2024 at 13:05 GMT+1
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England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie has spoken about the persistent injury problems that have hampered his return to top-tier rugby as he prepares for this year's Autumn Nations series, which will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+. The Sale front row suffered a neck injury and then limited function in his right arm after surgery went wrong, but says he is now back fighting fit.
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Luke Cowan-Dickie has revealed he had “a terrible time” following a neck operation that went wrong last year.
The Sale hooker is now feeling “more like himself” as he prepares for the Autumn Nations series, with every game to be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Back in 2020 and 2021, Cowan-Dickie was starting for the British & Irish Lions, as well as winning a league and cup double with Exeter Chiefs, scoring the opening try in the Champions Cup final against Racing 92.
The front row suffered a neck injury against South Africa while playing for England in November 2022, and after a problem with surgery left him with limited function in his right arm, Cowan-Dickie was ruled out for almost a year.
He then had a heart issue in January playing for his new club Sale against La Rochelle.
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Cowan-Dickie told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly Podcast of the struggles he had faced to try and fight back to his previous self.
“I’ve had a bit of a terrible time,” he said.
“The neck operation was quite a routine decompression, but I came out with a damaged nerve and my arm took about 16 months to get back to actually playing OK.
“For the first four or five months I couldn’t really get my arm off my side, I couldn’t eat with a knife or fork, and I was only really bicep-curling 5kg.
“They say after nine months you hopefully see 70% strength, but I definitely didn’t have that.
"It was a decision we all made that I was able to play, but performance-wise you need a strong arm, so I didn’t perform as well as I wanted to last year, which got me down a bit I think.
“Last season I was playing but nowhere near as well as I could have due to my arm, and then my heart in one of the games flipped into AF (atrial fibrillation) and went out of rhythm.
“I went to the hospital and they put me on a drip, hoping it would flick back by itself, which it did over 24 hours.
“Then I had the tests, MRIs and I had a portable ECG machine on me for a while, and they didn’t get anything back from it. Touch wood, everything has been fine ever since.
“They said it’s not really common, but more common in elderly people and athletes.”
Cowan-Dickie has featured in all five of Sale’s games this season, with the Sharks winning three and losing two of their opening Premiership matches.
He has shown his finishing prowess once more, dotting down four tries already this term, including a double in the 31-27 win over Gloucester.
“I feel like I am back more like myself,” Cowan-Dickie said.
“I haven’t really been performing for a long time, so I feel like I am improving game to game and I definitely feel like there is more to come. I am excited."
England's first Autumn International sees them take on New Zealand on Saturday, November 2, before Tests against Australia, South Africa and Japan.
Stream the Gallagher Premiership, 2024 Autumn Nations Series and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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