Dan Cole's Most Memorable Matches
As Dan Cole nears 100 caps, we take a look back at some of his most memorable moments in an England shirt.
Debut in 2010
Having made his way through the pathway setup with appearances for England U19s, U20s and latterly England Saxons, Cole made his senior team debut in 2010 against Wales in the opening round of the Six Nations.
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He came on as a replacement for David Wilson in the 60th minute, and England, captained by Steve Borthwick, went on to win 30-17. He played in each of England’s subsequent games in that year’s edition of the tournament, and scored his first international try against Ireland in what was also his first start at Twickenham.
50th Cap in 2015
Cole's 50th England cap came in 2015 when England hosted France in the Six Nations Championship. Starting alongside Dylan Hartley and Joe Marler in the front row, he helped his side towards a 55-35 victory over Les Bleus.
Jack Nowell and Ben Youngs both scored braces, with Billy Vunipola, George Ford and Anthony Watson also finding the whitewash. England finished the tournament as runners-up to Ireland based on points difference following wins over France, Scotland, Wales, and Italy.
Cole’s 2015 performances earned him a spot in Stuart Lancaster’s squad for the Rugby World Cup that same year.
Grand Slam & Whitewash Down Under
The first season of the Eddie Jones era saw England go unbeaten in the 2016 Six Nations. Cole featured as a starter in each of the games, which saw a first English Grand Slam since 2003. He also scored a try in their final-round clash against France, crashing over from short range for England’s second of the game.
With momentum on their side, England looked to maintain their international dominance in the summer when they travelled to Australia for a three-Test series against the Wallabies. They came home 3-0 victors having secured a whitewash of victories Down Under. Cole started every game of the series to help his side on their way and scored a try in the opening ten minutes of play in the first Test.
Back-to-back
England’s Six Nations title defence of 2017 came during a period of dominance for the team, who came into the tournament with 14 consecutive wins under their belt. They would go on to equal the record for the most wins in a row (18) with their 61-21 victory over Scotland in round four.
Once again, Cole was at the heart of England’s endeavours, starting every Test. He scored a try in their comprehensive win over Italy off the back of a driving maul. Dylan Hartley fed Maro Itoje at the back of the lineout, and with the ball secured by Cole at the base, the forward pack rumbled closer to the line. Romain Poite had a good angle of the grounding and awarded the try. England won 36-15.
World Cup Final & Return
Four years on from their disappointing 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign, England reached the final of the 2019 tournament following a sublime performance against the All Blacks in Yokohama, in which Cole was instrumental.
This milestone would be his first ever appearance in a final, and despite Kyle Sinckler being named in the starting lineup ahead of him, an early injury forced Sinckler off the field and left Cole with 78 minutes of World Cup final rugby to be played.
The loss looked to be Cole's last Test match until Borthwick drafted the Leicester man back for the 2023 Six Nations, and he entered the Calcutta Cup match on the hour mark to earn his 96th Test cap, making an immediate impact by winning a scrum penalty. After that narrow loss, Cole went on to feature in the wins over Italy and Wales, as well as the showing against France.
