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 in Saturday’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.

The charges against the 32-year-old British and Irish Lions hooker were dropped.

“I’ve stuck around – they don’t call me the cockroach for no reason!” said Cowan-Dickie, whose arm strength is still only at 70 per cent.

“I’ve had a lot of injuries. In the past I’ve played through injuries and made them worse and had operations.

“Do I think it was bad to do? Maybe, but would I be here today if I didn’t? Maybe not. I think it’s made me robust.

“My pain threshold is decent so I can crack on through most things. I’m just thankful. Playing for England once is a dream so potentially playing my 50th it’s like ‘wow’, who would have thought it?

“A couple of years ago I didn’t think I would be in this room again. When I first got back playing, I couldn’t bicep curl four kilos and I could not lateral raise two kilos. I had my shoulder strapped with pads all over it.

“I got back playing in the Prem and for me that was brilliant as I was back playing rugby.

“I need rugby as much as rugby needs me. I love it. I didn’t really have much else. To get back playing for Sale was step one. Caps weren’t really in my mind then but it has crept up.”

Willis played a role in Cowan-Dickie being cleared to take part in England’s autumn campaign when the Saracens number eight explained to the disciplinary hearing there had been no head contact during the tackle.

“I was nervous as hell. It is probably the most nervous I have been sat on the zoom call for this hearing,” Cowan-Dickie said.

“I honestly thought I was in some serious trouble so I was quite worried even though it was only for a tackle. The relief after was great.”

Cowan-Dickie won the bulk of his caps under Eddie Jones, who was in charge of England from 2016 to 2022, and recalls the character-building early morning conditioning sessions.

“With every coach young players always get tested. It’s how you handle the test,” he said.

“There were times with Eddie when he’d have the young players up at 5.30am doing bacon and eggs, which is extra fitness or contact.

“When it first came on the schedule I was like “phwoah, bacon and eggs” and was really happy. Then I realised what it was and we just got our arses kicked. Again, it’s made me who I am today.”