Dan Cole's Most Memorable Matches
Dan Cole is set to become England Men's second-most capped player, here are some of his most memorable England moments.
With Dan Cole named on the bench for Saturday's Test match against New Zealand at Eden Park, he is set to win his 115th cap. In doing so, he will surpass Jason Leonard (114) as England Men's second-most capped player, behind Ben Youngs (127).
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.
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.
ANOTHER MEDAL AND SIX NATIONS CAMPAIGN
Six months later, Cole played a pivotal role in England's campaign at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, participating in five out of the seven matches. England's journey began with a battling 27-10 victory over Argentina, during which Cole played 50 minutes as his team won despite an early red card for Tom Curry.
Cole missed the games against Japan and Chile, but returned to beat Samoa and Fiji. before playing 56 minutes as England faced an agonisingly narrow defeat against South Africa in the semi-final. However, the side bounced back to secure a third-place finish by triumphing 26-23 over Argentina in the play-off and Cole added a Bronze medal to his 2019 Silver.
With the squad going through plenty of change after the World Cup, Cole continued to offer his experience throughout the 2024 Six Nations, where he was an ever-present for England. The veteran tight-head prop played in every match of the tournament, including the nail-biting wins against Italy, Wales and Ireland. Despite their solid performance, England narrowly missed out, placing third after a dramatic 33-31 loss to France in the final.
