By Glen Williams For Mailonline
Published: 16:37 GMT, 8 February 2019 | Updated: 16:38 GMT, 8 February 2019
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‘You learn a lot about yourself in defeat. Failure isn’t final, it’s how you change and adapt.’ Dan Cole’s evaluation of England’s recent revival is also true of his own journey back to the Test arena.
The cornerstone of England’s scrum for eight years failed to make Eddie Jones’s squad for the autumn internationals and was sent back to Leicester after being told to work on other areas of his game.
On Friday, however, he was restored to England’s match-day 23 having been named on the bench for Sunday’s Six Nations showdown against France at Twickenham.
Dan Cole has earned a place on the England bench for their clash against France
‘It feels fantastic,’ he said of his inclusion, ‘really good. It’s been good to just be involved in the setup.
‘The team, since I was last involved, had a great autumn series, the Ireland game… the team is really building and you just want to be part of a side that is successful. I’m just grateful to be here.’
The 82-cap veteran, who has not played for England since Ireland claimed the Grand Slam at Twickenham last March, has had to graft in recent months to force his way back into the fold.
He has earned plaudits for his club performances and his impact in the loose, an area of his game he was told to develop, has seen a notable improvement.
Cole, pictured here with Ellis Genge, is one of a number of strong front-row options
‘I was sent away
