Uncertainty continues to hang over the World Cup prospects of the England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, with the Rugby Football Union looking at ways to accelerate his return from ankle and neck problems. The 29-year-old saw a specialist on Thursday for a further assessment, but Exeter’s director of rugby, Rob Baxter, admits no one is able to say when the Cornishman will be able to resume playing.
There has been speculation in France that Cowan-Dickie’s summer move to Montpellier may be under threat for medical reasons, with the player understood to be suffering from some nerve damage in his neck. Baxter says Cowan-Dickie, who has not played since injuring his ankle against Northampton in early January, is like “a caged lion” having been forced to sit out the entire Six Nations championship.
