Luke Cowan-Dickie has 41 England caps, and three Lions test caps, yet owing to a torrid two years of neck, shoulder, and arm injuries, has been unable to add to his tally since November 2022. However, having finally restored a clean bill of fitness, the Sale Sharks hooker finds himself in the England squad once more and, more importantly, enjoying his rugby.
By his own admission, he wasn’t at his best last season, but it seems the severity of the nerve injury that limited arm mobility through the year wasn’t fully recognised. With the fragility of a one year contract looming ominously, and the enthusiasm to repay Sharks’ care for him, Cowan-Dickie played through, amassing 14 games and four tries before missing the semi-final through injury.
Despite the considerable adversity faced by a player who was once world-leading in his position, his contract was extended to the end of this season and, with some big changes to his lifestyle, the hooker is back in international contention.
“Last year I think I put a bit too much pressure on myself to perform and be at my best when my arm wasn’t really working”, says Cowan-Dickie, “there was a lot of injuries and little niggles and stuff, so it wasn’t as enjoyable.”
It was therefore a blessing in disguise that Cowan-Dickie was left out of England’s summer tour to Japan and New Zealand at the end of an extended season. With his summer off he has relocated to Deansgate, been given good time to recover, and has set about making the lifestyle changes to get him back to his best.
“I’ve stopped gaming”, he says, a big revelation given his previous status as the world’s number one Call of Duty player. “I love it, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve got quite an addictive personality so if I start then I’ll be gaming for 10-12 hours, and I won’t be going to bed till 1am, so it’s not good for the next day.
“My sleeping habits have definitely got better, bed a lot earlier, up a lot earlier. I’m enjoying it again, my body feels good, I don’t feel like I’m handicapped like I was last year.”
A substitute for that level of devotion is of course needed, and with one handicap gone another has arrived in a very different sense. Alongside esteemed Sharks like Tom Curtis, Joe Carpenter, Tom O’Flaherty and Jonny Hill, Cowan-Dickie has turned to the golf course.
“Unfortunately my habit’s now golf, because Manchester weather’s not great”, he jokes. “I play most weeks, range most nights.
“I’m trying to pick more outdoors-y, more relaxed hobbies to get myself into. I feel like it’s helping. Last year wasn’t too good with my arm, but I’m back playing off 10.4 at the minute!”
Beyond the cliché of sportsman takes up golf, the transition from being “quite an isolated person” to getting off the games console represents a wider shift in mindset for the 31-year-old. His head coach Alex Sanderson, who said his two-try game vs Gloucester was his best yet at Sale, noted that he’s “more dedicated, more focussed. He’s really knuckled down with every aspect of his life and you can see it flowing onto the field at the moment.
“I’m dead proud of him”, beams Sanderson.
To achieve that higher focus, Cowan-Dickie’s approach has been to take the pressure off himself.
“It’s just not having expectations this year. Obviously I want to perform well, but I’m not so desperate to do everything.
“I’ve had a few games under my belt now and I feel like I’m more up to speed with things”, Cowan-Dickie explains. “My body’s able to do the things I used to be able to do, so it was more just trying to have that expectation this year, whereas last year I felt like I was pretty poo.
“If I expect too much, I play tight, I don’t enjoy myself, I’m worrying too much. Last year I didn’t enjoy it as much.
“This year, going with minimal expectations, I’m definitely enjoying it more and it’s showing on the field. I don’t feel like I’m quite there, there’s a lot of work ons in my game, especially where I was at before my shoulder, but it’s going in the right direction.
“I’m back enjoying my rugby.”
That enjoyment is manifesting in the physically abrasive, dynamic and reliable performances that Cowan-Dickie had become associated with by 2022. Now the challenge is applying his new approach to England this autumn.
“It feels like I haven’t been there for a while so it was nice to get back. If you’re not keen to back in an England shirt then you’re not desperate enough, but there’s a balance.
“[The pressure] was mainly arm, but obviously the England stuff was tough. Hopefully I get a few chances in the England shirt, but at the moment all I can do is perform well for Sale.
