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Last-ditch bid made to lure Luke Cowan-Dickie to France
By Neil Fissler
Lyon have made a last-ditch attempt to lure England and Lions hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie away from Sale Sharks just over a week after it appeared that his future was cut and dried.
Truro-born Cowan-Dickie, 31, has been displaying the form this season that four years ago made him the best hooker in the world before a torrid two-year spell of neck, shoulder, and arm injuries. The former Exeter Chiefs ace, who won two Premiership crowns and the Champions Cup during his time at Sandy Park, joined Sale in July 2023 and has scored seven tries in nine games this season.
Two of his tries came for England in their Autumn International Series win over Japan and has helped convince Lyon it could be third time lucky to try and take him to the Top 14.
The 2019 World Cup runner-up was due to join them last summer in a double deal with Jonny Hill, but it was called off due to injury a year after a switch to Montpellier fell through.
RugbyPass understands from well-placed sources in France that Cowan-Dickie’s future isn’t as clear as Sharks boss Alex Sanderson claimed in a media call last week when he said.
“Luke Cowan-Dickie has been playing out of his skin – the best he has ever played. His lineout stats are the best in the Premiership.
“The situation with Luke is very positive, and he wants to stay, and we want to keep him and have come to some understanding of his worth financially.”
Cowan-Dickie could be joined at the Stade de Gerland by Sharks team-mate Hill who is also entering the last six months of his contract after Le Lou revived their interest in him.
A serious patella injury scuppered Hill’s chances of a move to Lyon last summer, but his CV is again doing the rounds of French clubs after he served a ten-week ban for an altercation with a Bath fan last season.
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Latest Comments
Not too sure what sort of pay out rugbypass gets from making DuPont no1 in everything, don’t get me wrong he’s a good player but PSTD or Kolbe deserved that position far more, Pieter has won player of the year twice in the last 2 years and DuPont won “best French person” big deal I say
Go to commentsI think you will find if you look at the facts, i.e. the stats, that Ardie was well above average. Being above (or top) most other forwards in most categories. Was he at his best? Probably not, but a huge contributor none the less. Less leg-drive highlights and more of a workman-like contribution. Besides, he's probably due an off-form season; all top players have them. Look at Taylor, 2 seasons or so ago he was genuinely poor, but after a breather from domestic duties, he was probably the best hooker in the world this season. Ardie had to play back-to-back seasons when he went to Japan. So give him a break, I reckon. A literal one, that is.
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