Dan Cole (rugby union)

Daniel Richard Cole (born 9 May 1987) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Leicester Tigers and the England national team.[2][3][4][5]

Dan Cole
Cole representing England during the 2011 Rugby World Cup
Full nameDaniel Richard Cole
Date of birth (1987-05-09) 9 May 1987
Place of birthLeicester, England
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Weight118 kg (260 lb; 18 st 8 lb)[1]
SchoolRobert Smyth Academy
Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Current team Leicester Tigers
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007– Leicester Tigers 308 (20)
2006–2008 → Bedford Blues (loan) 34 (20)
2008–2009 → Nottingham (loan) 5 (0)
Correct as of 28 August 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006 England U19 4 (0)
2009–2010 England Saxons 11 (5)
2010– England 104 (20)
2013–2017 British & Irish Lions 3 (0)
Correct as of 28 August 2023

Between 2010 and 2023, he has played 100 times for England internationally, and was capped three times for the British & Irish Lions. Cole is known for his scrummaging ability. His former coach at Leicester, Richard Cockerill, described him as one of the finest tighthead props in world rugby.[6]

Club career

Cole's first team début came in the October 2007 EDF Energy Cup pool match against Bath.[7] Most of the 2007–08 season was spent on loan to Bedford Blues and it was the beginning of the 2008–09 season before Cole played for the first team again. Cole was involved in most of the games in the first half of the season.[2] In January 2009, Cole was loaned to Nottingham R.F.C.[8] and subsequently returned to Leicester later in the season to feature as a replacement as Tigers beat London Irish by a single point in the final of the 2008–09 Premiership.[9]

Through injury to Leicester tight-heads Julian White and Martin Castrogiovanni, Cole achieved a run of games during the 2009–10 season which saw him gain notoriety as man-of-the-match against Wasps.[10] In February 2010, Cole signed a new contract.[11] The Tigers went on to retain their league title winning the 2009–10 Premiership final 33–27 against Saracens, where Cole again came on as a replacement for Castrogiovanni.[12] In 2013 Cole won his third Premiership title on this occasion starting in the victory over local rivals Northampton Saints.[13]

Cole won the Outstanding Service Award at the end of the 2016/17 season.[14]

Cole started the 2022 Premiership Rugby final as Tigers beat Saracens 15-12, with Cole winning his fourth title.[15] On 17 December 2022 Cole made his 300th appearance for Leicester, only the 36th player to achieve the feat, in a 23-16 win against Clermont Auvergne.[16]

International career

England

Cole was a member of the squad that finished third at the 2006 Under 19 Rugby World Championship[17] and the following year represented the England under-20 team in the Six Nations Under 20s Championship.[18] In January 2009 he made his debut for the England Saxons against Portugal[19] and later that year started all three games at the 2009 Churchill Cup, including the final against Ireland A.[20]

Cole was promoted to the Senior Squad for the 2010 Six Nations Championship as injury cover for Tigers squadmate Julian White[21][22] and made his senior England debut as a replacement for David Wilson in England's 30–17 win over Wales in the opening round of the tournament on 6 February 2010.[23][24] He played in all subsequent games in the 2010 Six Nations, earning his first start against Italy[24] and scoring his first international try in what was also his first home start against Ireland,[25] and began to cement his place as England's first-choice tighthead.

Cole was taken on the 2010 summer tour of Australia and played in both matches.[26] Although England lost the first game,[27] Cole put in a strong performance which saw the England scrum gain an unprecedented two penalty tries.[27] The second Test saw England beat Australia 20–21.[28] He was a member of the side that won the 2011 Six Nations Championship missing out on a grand slam with defeat in the final round against Ireland.[29] He was included in the squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup[30] and started in their quarter-final elimination against France.[31]

Cole won his fiftieth cap in the final round of the 2015 Six Nations Championship against France[32] as England finished runners up in the tournament.[33] He was included in Stuart Lancaster's 31-man squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup[34] and went on to start in all four of their pool games as the hosts failed to reach the knock out phase.[35]

Cole was included in new coach Eddie Jones's 31-man squad for the 2016 Six Nations[36] and scored a try in the final game against France as England completed the grand slam.[37] Cole was included in the 2016 tour of Australia;[38] he played in the one-off test against Wales at Twickenham, which also saw a debut for Leicester teammate Ellis Genge,[39] and started in all three tests in Australia. Cole scored a try in the final test of the series in which England whitewashed the Wallabies for the first time.[40] The following year saw Cole score a try against Italy during the 2017 Six Nations Championship[41] as the team eventually retained their title[42] missing out on a consecutive grand slam with defeat in the final game away to Ireland which also brought an end to a record equalling eighteen successive Test victories.[42]

Although Cole was dropped from England's international team at the end of 2018,[43] a resurgence in form saw him re-selected for the 2019 Six Nations Championship.[44] Cole's continued good form saw him chosen for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, for what would be his third Rugby World Cup.[45] On 26 September 2019, in a World Cup pool match against the United States, Cole became England's joint-third highest capped player with 91 international appearances.[46] In the World Cup final starter Kyle Sinckler was knocked unconscious after two minutes and replaced by Cole for the remainder of the game[47] as England were defeated by South Africa to finish runners up.[48]

On 7 August 2023, Cole was named in England's squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[49]

British and Irish Lions

Cole was one of 37 players selected to represent the Lions on their 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia[50] and featured in all three Tests as the Lions won their first series for sixteen years.[51]

In 2017 Cole was selected for the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand,[52] he did not make the test team but featured in five non-capped tour games. Overall he played fourteen times for the Lions on the 2013 and 2017 tours winning three caps.[53]

Career statistics

List of international tries
As of 7 July 2019[54]
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1 IrelandLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2010 Six Nations27 February 2010Loss16 – 20[25]
2 FranceParis, FranceStade de France2016 Six Nations19 March 2016Win31 – 21[37]
3 AustraliaSydney, AustraliaSydney Football Stadium2016 Tour of Australia25 June 2016Win44 – 40[40]
4 ItalyLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2017 Six Nations26 February 2017Win36 – 15[41]

Honours
England
Leicester Tigers

References
  1. "Dan Cole player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  2. "Tigers Squad – Dan Cole". Leicester Tigers. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  3. "England v Wales v rugby: Does a class divide still separate the sport in the two rival nations?". Wales Online. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  4. John Westerby (1 February 2014). "England trying to help legacy by appealing to everyone". The Times. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  5. "England international Dan Cole agrees Leicester Tigers deal on day of five signings". Leicester Mercury. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  6. "Cole hailed as one of best in the world". RBS 6 Nations. 26 December 2012. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  7. Williamson, Sam (12 February 2021). "Full circle: Cole and coach recall Dan's debut". Leicester Tigers. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  8. "Cole and Youngs on Loan". Nottingham RFC. 9 January 2009. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  9. Palmer, Bryn (16 May 2009). "Leicester 10-9 London Irish". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  10. "Leicester 34–8 Wasps". BBC Sport. 9 January 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  11. "England trio secure new Leicester Tigers deals". BBC Sport. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  12. Standley, James (29 May 2010). "Leicester 33-27 Saracens". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  13. Osborne, Chris (25 May 2013). "Aviva Premiership final: Leicester 37-17 Northampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  14. "Share your #Welford125 memories with Tigers". Leicester Tigers. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  15. "Premiership final: Leicester Tigers 15-12 Saracens - Freddie Burns drop-goal clinches title". BBC Sport. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  16. Morgan, Charlie (17 December 2022). "Jasper Wiese stars as Leicester squeeze past Clermont". Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  17. "New Zealand U19 24-11 England U19". BBC Sport. 18 April 2006. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  18. "Wales U20 21-21 England U20". BBC Sport. 16 March 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  19. "England Saxons 66–0 Portugal". BBC Sport. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  20. "Ireland A 49–22 England Saxons". BBC Sport. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  21. "Senior England EPS Update". RFU Official site. 25 January 2010. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  22. "Steve Borthwick retained as England captain". BBC Sport. 25 January 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  23. Palmer, Bryn (6 February 2010). "England 30–17 Wales". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  24. Kitson, Robert (10 February 2010). "Leicester's Dan Cole gets first start for England in Italy match". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  25. Rees, Paul (27 February 2010). "Tommy Bowe's try for Ireland ends England's grand slam hopes". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  26. "England pick nine uncapped players for summer tour". BBC Sport. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  27. Standley, James (12 June 2010). "Australia 27-17 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  28. Palmer, Bryn (19 June 2010). "Australia 20-21 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  29. Standley, James (19 March 2011). "2011 Six Nations: Ireland 24-8 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  30. Palmer, Bryn (22 August 2011). "Rugby World Cup 2011: Johnson omits Flutey from England squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  31. Fordyce, Tom (8 October 2011). "Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  32. "Six Nations 2015: England bring in Geoff Parling against France". BBC Sport. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  33. Fordyce, Tom (21 March 2015). "Six Nations 2015: England 55-35 France". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  34. Eccleshare, Charlie (27 August 2015). "England Rugby World Cup squad: as it happened - Sam Burgess, George Kruis and Kieran Brookes selected". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  35. Rees, Paul (31 August 2019). "England have unity that was absent in 2015 World Cup, says Dan Cole". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  36. "Six Nations 2016: Josh Beaumont in new-look England squad". BBC Sport. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  37. Fordyce, Tom (19 March 2016). "Six Nations 2016: England win Grand Slam with France victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  38. Kitson, Robert (22 May 2016). "Ben Te'o among four uncapped players for England's tour of Australia". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  39. Dirs, Ben (29 May 2016). "England 27-13 Wales: Hosts score five tries but Ford misfires". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  40. Standley, James (25 June 2016). "England beat Australia 44-40 in final Test to complete series whitewash". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  41. Fordyce, Tom (26 February 2017). "Six Nations 2017: England 36-15 Italy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  42. Fordyce, Tom (18 March 2017). "Six Nations 2017: Ireland 13-9 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  43. de Menezes, Jack (2 August 2018). "Eddie Jones lays out Chris Ashton's England return and explains why tour absentees remain out of his squad". The Independent. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  44. Lowe, Alex (26 September 2019). "England props Joe Marler and Dan Cole return from wilderness to claim front-row seats". The Times. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  45. Jones, Chris (12 August 2019). "Rugby World Cup: England leave out Te'o, name Ludlam & McConnochie in squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  46. "Ben Youngs praises Dan Cole with England duo set to equal Jonny Wilkinson caps tally". Sky Sports. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  47. Latham-Coyle, Harry (2 November 2019). "Kyle Sinckler injury: England prop knocked out two minutes into Rugby World Cup final vs South Africa". The Independent. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  48. Fordyce, Tom (2 November 2019). "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  49. "England World Cup squad: Henry Slade & Alex Dombrandt miss out, Joe Marchant & Theo Dan in". BBC Sport. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  50. Rees, Paul (30 April 2013). "Jonny Wilkinson turned down Lions chance, says Warren Gatland". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  51. Palmer, Bryn (6 July 2013). "British and Irish Lions thrash Australia to seal series win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  52. "British and Irish Lions 2017: Sam Warburton captain, Dylan Hartley out". BBC Sport. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  53. "Dan Cole Lions profile". Lions Rugby. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  54. "ESPN profile:Dan Cole". ESPN. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
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