Lyon is reportedly setting its sights on a double acquisition from Sale Sharks, targeting England and Lions standouts Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jonny Hill for a move to the Top 14 this summer, as per The Rugby Paper.
Despite missing out on selection for Steve Borthwick's final World Cup squad, lock Jonny Hill, who played two Tests for England in their World Cup warm-ups, joined Sale Sharks at the beginning of the last season after his stint with Exeter Chiefs.
The potential departure of the former Gloucester star, Hill, is driving Sale Sharks' interest in securing the services of Charlie Ewels from Bath, a move eagerly pursued by head coach Alex Sanderson.
Luke Cowan-Dickie, originally a loosehead prop, marked his professional debut for Exeter Chiefs in 2011 during an Amlin Challenge Cup clash against Cavalieri Prato. Following a switch to hooker and a dual-registered stint at Plymouth Albion, he swiftly rose through the ranks to become a key player in Rob Baxter's first team.
Making his international debut in 2015, Luke has accumulated 41 appearances for England, notably contributing to their journey to the 2019 World Cup final.
Additionally, he was a crucial part of the 2021 British and Irish Lions squad during the tour to South Africa, featuring in all three test matches against the reigning world champions.
Telegraph selects 2025 Lions squad, leaves out Owen Farrell and Louis Rees-Zammit
After Andy Farrell's appointment as the head coach for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, the focus naturally shifts to speculating about the potential squad members.
Here's a glimpse into the 37-man touring party according to The Telegraph:
Loosehead-props:
- Andrew Porter (Ireland)
- Ellis Genge (England)
- Pierre Schoeman (Scotland)
Hookers:
- Dewi Lake (Wales)
- Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
- George Turner (Scotland)
Tighthead-props:
- Zander Fagerson (Scotland)
- Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
- Asher Opoku-Fordjour (England)
Locks:
- George Martin (England)
- Maro Itoje (England)
- James Ryan (Ireland)
- Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
- Will Rowlands (Wales)
- Iain Henderson (Ireland)
Back Row:
- Jac Morgan (Wales)
- Tommy Reffell (Wales)
- Ben Earl (England)
- Caelan Doris (Ireland)
- Rory Darge (Scotland)
- Courtney Lawes/Tom Curry (England)
Scrum-Halves:
- Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
- Gareth Davies (Wales)
- Alex Mitchell (England)
Fly-Halves:
- Finn Russell (Scotland)
- George Ford (England)
- Marcus Smith (England)
Notable omission: Owen Farrell is excluded due to uncertainties surrounding his future.
Centres:
- Bundee Aki (Ireland)
- Ollie Lawrence (England)
- Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
- Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
Wings:
- James Lowe (Ireland)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
- Darcy Graham (Scotland)
- Mack Hansen (Ireland)
Full-backs:
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland)
- Freddie Steward (England)
Total Players by Nation: Ireland 13, England 11, Scotland 8, Wales 5.
Quiz! Can you name every player from England's 2003 Rugby World Cup squad?
This quiz tests your knowledge of that heralded group of 22 players who took on and beat the Wallabies in their own backyard on November 22, 2003.
Some of these are significantly easier than others.
