“I didn’t really have a 50th in my head when I came back playing. I didn’t think me playing for England would be a thing again.
“For it to potentially happen this autumn, it is going to be huge trying not to let it get to me.
“There were a couple of times with the specialist when we didn’t know if playing was going to be the right thing.
“But I stuck at it because rugby is such a big part of my life. I was desperate to get back playing.”
Cowan-Dickie won the Premiership and Champions Cup with Exeter, but revived his career at Sale after a proposed move to France fell through at the last minute.
He made his England return last autumn and his form in the Six Nations helped him secure a place on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, although a head injury ruled him out of the first Test.
“Sale signed me when I was probably at my worst with my shoulder, but they got me back up and running,” he said.
“I wasn’t playing amazing, but my form got to the stage where I got back into international contention.
“From there, it’s more been more about just being back playing and taking it all in rather than thinking about the 50th cap.”
Cowan-Dickie made his England debut in 2015, a few months before fellow hooker Jamie George, who has amassed 102 caps.
Cowan-Dickie said winning the 2016 Grand Slam and being part of the squad that reached the final of the 2019 World Cup, memorably dethroning defending champions New Zealand in the semi-finals, are the standout moments of his England career.
“I was lucky enough to feature in the last two games of the Grand Slam in 2016,” he said.
“There’s a picture of me and Jack Nowell with a Cornish flag. That definitely sticks in my mind.
“Even though we didn’t go on to win it, the 2019 World Cup and the whole experience with the group – how long we were together and some of the performances, especially the semi-final – also stands out.”
