'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.

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.

"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.