England adjust as Luke leaves on family matter
LUKE Cowan-Dickie could miss England’s Guinness Six Nations opener against France on Sunday after returning home from the squad’s Portugal training base for family reasons.
Cowan-Dickie, Eddie Jones’ second-choice hooker behind Jamie George, departed the Algarve on Tuesday night.
If he is unable to rejoin England in time for tomorrow’s team announcement, Bath front row Tom Dunn will be given the chance to make his debut off the bench in Paris with Jack Singleton on standby to be called up as cover.
“Luke has returned home for family reasons. We’ve got plans in place just in case he cannot return,” defence coach John Mitchell said.
“We’re hopeful he’ll be back but family comes first so it’s more important to respect the position he’s in. But we’ve got plans in place to cope.”
Mako Vunipola missed training yesterday as a precautionary measure after sustaining a knock to the eye 24 hours earlier, but is expected to feature against France.
England play their first match since being crushed 32-12 by South Africa in last autumn’s World Cup final – the disappointing climax to an otherwise superb tournament.
They enter the Six Nations as clear favourites and Mitchell, Jones’ number two, insists there is more to come from a team that routed New Zealand in glorious fashion in the semi-finals before crumbling against the Springboks. “I’m more disappointed for the lads because you understand how much they put into it. But we’re in the Six Nations now and we have a choice around our mindset,” Mitchell said. “There’s a lot more to come from us. We’re looking for little gains and to build a side that can cope with anything chucked at it.
“The game is demanding a lot of change very quickly, so it’s about our ability to adapt to those situations quickly.
“The game is getting quicker and we’re very much in a defence cycle and that’s presenting attack with a really big challenge of finding ways to open up defences.”
Meanwhile, Jake Ball believes that new Wales head coach Wayne Pivac will thrive in the international arena.
Pivac takes charge of his first Guinness Six Nations game on Saturday when Wales kick off this season’s tournament by tackling Italy in Cardiff.
The 57-year-old has a tough act to follow, succeeding his fellow New Zelander Warren Gatland, who masterminded three Six Nations Grand Slams and two World Cup semi-final appearances during a reign that began in 2008 and ended earlier this season.
Wales lock Ball knows Pivac and his methods better than most, having worked with him throughout Pivac’s five-year coaching stint at the Scarlets.
And, as Pivac prepares to make the step up to Test rugby, so 42 timescapped Ball has highlighted the qualities of a coach who has enjoyed success at every level.
“I think Wayne is very clear on the way he wants to play in terms of pattern and player-wise,” Ball said.
“We want to play an exciting brand of rugby and it is going to be really interesting the next few weeks.
“I think he will really enjoy it. He knows when to have a laugh and he knows when to be serious. I think that’s really important in this environment.
“He is very good at picking players. He understands players very, very well.
“In terms of individuals, everyone is slightly different, and he gets to know each player individually. How you deal with players is really important from a head coach.
“Some boys respond well to a kick in the backside – some lads don’t. He is very good and smart in the way he has those conversations in order to get the best out of players.
“A lot of it is getting the best motivation out of players and I think he is extremely good at doing that,” Ball added.
Luke has returned home for family reasons. We’ve got plans in place just in case he cannot return.