Luke Cowan-Dickie hopes he has done enough for Lions Test role

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Luke Cowan-Dickie believes he has done everything within his power to play a role when the British and Irish Lions’ Test series against South Africa begins on Saturday.

On an afternoon that saw Alun Wyn Jones complete a comeback from a dislocated shoulder acclaimed by Warren Gatland as a “miracle” and Marcus Smith dazzle in the final quarter, it was Cowan-Dickie who shone the brightest against the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium.

The confrontational England hooker carried the fight to the Lions’ final opponents before they face the Springboks by running with intent, plundering turnovers and chop tackling at will.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On top of his impact on both sides of the ball, his set-piece work was pinpoint and he took on the responsibility of looking for work early on at a time when the Stormers were causing problems.

Luke Cowan-Dickie of the British and Irish Lions scores a try on Saturday against DHL Stormers. Pic by PALuke Cowan-Dickie of the British and Irish Lions scores a try on Saturday against DHL Stormers. Pic by PA
Luke Cowan-Dickie of the British and Irish Lions scores a try on Saturday against DHL Stormers. Pic by PA

Jamie George and Ken Owens are also competing for the hooking duties against the world champions and while Cowan-Dickie is in a strong position to edge his rivals, he sees a successful Lions series as the overwhelming objective.

“I’ve done what I could have done, from the previous games and against the Stormers, to put my best foot forward. But if it’s not enough I’ll have to take it on the chin,” said Cowan-Dickie, who touched down in the first-half. “I didn’t have the most game time at the start because of coming into camp a bit late with the Exeter players, so to get another start here was massive for me. I’m trying to play as many minutes as I can on the tour and see how it goes.

“I think I have been playing reasonably OK. It has been going well for me so far. The main thing is that the set-piece is going well, the line-outs have been going well.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think I did put a foot closer forward to potentially getting into the 23. But if I don’t get into the 23, all I want is for the boys to win.

“It’s exciting and it was good to get over the line, but there were 22 other guys who were outstanding. I’m just excited to see what next week brings.

“It would be amazing to get a Test under my belt, but for me it’s about winning the Test series.

“The coach is going to pick the best 23 and if I’m not involved in that, as long as we go out and do the job, I’ll be just as happy.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The number of hookers in South Africa has swollen to four after Ronan Kelleher was called up by Gatland as additional cover in the event of injury.

Cowan-Dickie insists the quartet have worked well together, despite each of them targeting the number two jersey at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

“Competition is always good for training. You’re improving each day when you have got competition on the training field,” he said.

“We try and train as best we can, we try to improve as players and we try to put our best foot forward.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“When the team is picked, you do whatever you can to help that guy who has been chosen to prepare for the game. It’s just brilliant we are working well together as a four.

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1737
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice