Key Facts
| Squad | Leicester Tigers |
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| Position | Prop |
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| Age | 26 |
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| Height | 1.89m (6'2") |
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| Weight | 118kg (18st 8lb) |
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| Caps | 40 |
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Missing only one of England’s past 41 Tests reflects the impact that Dan Cole has made since his debut in the victory over Wales at Twickenham in 2010. A greater triumph followed in the 21-20 defeat of Australia at Sydney that June when he completed a formidable performance despite suffering a cut and badly swollen left eye. Dan returned to the land of the Wallabies after being chosen for the 2013 British & Irish Lions.
He made his first Test start against Italy three years ago before celebrating his third cap against Ireland by becoming the first England prop to score a Test try in 42 matches since Phil Vickery did so off the bench against South Africa at Twickenham in November 2006.
Dan started all five games in the 2011 RWC and the 2012 and 2013 RBS 6 Nations Championship. His scrummaging contributed to England’s dominance over Ireland during the 30-9 win at Twickenham in the final match. Leicester-born, he had begun all four England Saxons’ games in 2009, including three in the Barclays Churchill Cup and by the end of the 2012-13 season he had reached 109 senior appearances for the club.
His initial Tigers' match, his only one in 2007-08, had been in the 20-14 defeat by Bath Rugby in the EDF Energy Cup at the Recreation Ground. He had spent two productive seasons on loan to Bedford and made 27 starts for the Blues in two seasons starting in 2006-07.
He has since enhanced his reputation at tight-head prop and acknowledges the assistance of former England players Dusty Hare, Neil Back, Richard Cockerill, Graham Rowntree and Nigel Redman. A former pupil at Kibworth High School, Robert Smyth and Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College, he was originally a flanker with South Leicester RFC.
His success began with his part in England U18 winning the Association European Rugby (AER) festival in Lille and he played in every game in the U19 Six Nations and IRB World Championship in 2006, in which he helped the side to a third place finish. The following year, he was a member of the England U20 squad in the Six Nations Championship before his Test career unfolded.
International Record
5 points - 1T
2010 W(R), It, I, S, F, A(1,2), NZ, A, Sam(R), SA 2011 W, It, F, S, I, W, I World Cup - Arg, G, R, S, F 2012 S, It, W, F, I, SA (1,2,3), Fj, A, SA, NZ 2013 S, I, F, It, W
Last updated: June 11, 2013
