DanCole

The experienced Dan Cole was picked for his second British & Irish Lions Tour in 2017 having been a used replacement in every Test against Australia four years previously.

In all he made nine appearances on the 2013 Lions Tour out of a possible ten, with the Lions winning the Test series 2-1, and has continued to show remarkable consistency ever since.

Cole made his first Lions start in Australia in the flawless 64-0 victory over Combined Country, and his performance earned him a further start against Melbourne Rebels, as well as substitute appearances in the final two tests against Australia.

The England prop featured five times on the 2017 Tour of New Zealand, starting three matches, and provided stiff competition for fellow tight-heads Tadhg Furlong and Kyle Sinckler.

His first start was the 22-16 defeat to the Blues, before appearances against Super Rugby outfits Crusaders, Highlanders, Chiefs and Hurricanes.

Cole racked up 35 tackles across those four games but was unable to force his way into the Test team despite an impressive 80-minute performance against the Chiefs.

Cole has also been the cornerstone of the England scrum since making his international debut against Wales back in 2010.

The Leicester Tiger went through the toughest finishing school a front-rower can experience at Welford Road. He had to bide his time to make the No. 3 jersey his own as he battled with Italian legend Martin Castrogiovanni but in the end the wait was worth it.

After spells on loan at both Nottingham and Bedford, Cole’s ascent to international ranks happened quickly, first he was called up for the Saxons in 2009 and then made his full debut off the bench in the 2010 Six Nations under Martin Johnson.

He was one of the few players to survive the disappointment of the 2011 Rugby World Cup and became a key lieutenant for Stuart Lancaster’s reign.

He started every game of England's Rugby World Cup campaign on home soil in 2015, all five games of their Grand Slam a year later and all three Tests of the Red Rose's historic summer tour of Australia in 2016.

He has also shown a knack for the big stage, crossing for tries in Paris in 2016 as Eddie Jones’ side sealed the Grand Slam and in Sydney later that summer as they sealed a 3-0 Wallaby whitewash.

And he was once again immoveable in the England front row for the entirety of the victorious 2017 Six Nations campaign.