It’s reasonable to argue that both Peter Crouch and Joe Cole were among football’s most exceptional and underappreciated players in their heyday.
Both have rightfully earned their position in English football legend by winning significant awards during their individual careers.
But since they stopped playing professionally, Crouch and Cole have teamed up to create a new alliance within TNT’s broadcasting division.
Currently, they are attempting a completely other sport, rugby, with amusing outcomes.
At Saracens’ StoneX Stadium, Crouch and Cole joined English rugby icon Ben Kay as part of their Autumn Nations Series promotion for TNT, Crouch vs. Cole: Rugby.
The two were put through their paces in front of cameras at the StoneX Stadium by Kay, a rugby world cup winner who played for the Leicester Tigers. Encouraging them to attempt tackling drills, disputing a line-out, converting penalties, and even engaging in a little argy-bargy with one another.
Crouch begins their show by asking Kay who he believes will be the superior rugby player between the two.
Kay responds tactfully, “I think you both have different skill sets,” before informing Crouch he believes he could win the line-out.
“From here, I’ll be able to see the A1!” The former striker for Pompey and Liverpool laughs in response.
In one instance, Cole steps up and skilfully converts a place kick from a fair distance. Kay says with approval, “You can’t get any better than that, mate.”
As Crouch tries to collect a ball that has been kicked high into the air, chaos breaks out. Perhaps his reflexes took control and he considered grabbing it with his feet, but it bounces off the ground and strikes him in the face instead.
Watching Joe Cole scream in fear as he is lifted into the air to grab a ball from a line-out, then actually disputing one with Crouch and winning, is possibly the funniest scene.
As though they were on a school playground, the action concludes with the two players and former England teammates attempting to wrestle each other to the ground.
As the two make their way to the tunnel, Cole tells Crouch, “I would have loved to have done this at school.”
TNT Sports will broadcast all 21 of the Autumn Nations Series’ games live. You can watch the entire Crouch vs. Cole: Rugby episode on Discovery+ starting at noon today.
