Cole’s 15 years at the workface
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: Dan Cole of Leicester Tigers reacts during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs at Welford Road on December 05, 2020 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
Dan Cole's 300 matches for Leicester took him a few weeks longer than 15 years to compile.
Few during the professional era can equal the England tighthead's endurance at one club: Maxime Medard (368 for Toulouse), Mike Brown (351 for Harlequins), Danny Care (341 for the same club and counting), Romain Sazy (328 for La Rochelle) spring to mind.
As for the Tigers' roll-call of exceptional longevity, Cole would be a long way short of making the top ten headed by the late David Matthews (502 matches in 19 seasons).
Scrum-half John Allen, who died last week at the age of 80, played 457 times in 14 seasons.
