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'It's a big blow': England hooker out of Six Nations

NEWS: England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie has been ruled out of the final two rounds of the Six Nations with a knee injury he suffered in last weekend’s 23-19 win over Wales.

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Exeter boss Rob Baxter said on Thursday that the 28-year-old, who plays for the English Premiership club, could be out for the rest of the season.

“It’s a pretty significant injury,” said Baxter. “It’s knee ligament and a bit of cartilage damage.

“There’s further assessment going on but he’s definitely going to be out for a significant period of time, possibly the rest of the season.”

Cowan-Dickie will undergo surgery next week in the hope of being available for England’s post-season tour of Australia.

His absence paves the way for Jamie George to regain the role of England first-choice hooker for the conclusion of the Six Nations.

“It’s a big blow,” said Baxter of Cowan-Dickie’s injury. “He’s a very important player here and a very, very good player. He’s an influential player.

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“We’ve got some hope that he could feature right at the tail end of the season, particularly if we can extend the season by being in the top four, but it’s a little early yet.”

England are third in the Six Nations table behind Grand Slam-chasing France and Ireland.

They host Ireland on March 12 and travel to face France a week later.

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