Matt Stevens Announces Retirement From Test Rugby

Stevens is gone..

England and @Saracens prop @Matt_Stevens3 has retired from international rugby after 44-Tests and two RWC campaigns #rugby

we'll have to find someone else now who can keep the opposition in the game by conceding countless penalties.

Citing family reasons the retirement is immediate!

So it looks like some of the younger props will be getting a run out sooner then expected.

All the best for Matt and hopefully now he can focus on fitness and performing for his club.

http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/story/168370.html

How this post change from the originaL!!!

AWOP I think you are referring to 'YAY!' which is in fact a different thread on the same subject.

Was the writing on the wall for him with the expansion to 23 on international benches? I still think he had something to offer if his scrummaging improved.

His fitness seemed poor as well though and his offloading game that was so good pre game was pretty pants now.

His best years were certainly behind him, and I just think the modern game evolved so much during those 2 years he missed. He was left behind.

All the best to him for the future.

A case of jumping before he was pushed. Marler/Corbisiero/Cole/Harden etc etc....no place for Stevens.
Aside from which, his propping has been pretty poor since he returned, strength and conditioning way below expected standards.

That said, at his best, he was worthy of the shirt, a good servant to Bath and England. Good luck to him at Sarries.

Unfulfilled at international level as far as I'm concerned. Pre-drug ban when his form was good he started to make in-roads at that level, but ultimately it was just a purple patch. He should never have made it back in the England squad since his return as his scrummaging technique is just not good enough. I wrote a few posts on the old 606 about him and in fairness to Stevens he came back far fitter than I expected and he must be credited for the work he did. But I always felt his time away from a scrum machine would be costly and I feel his is Sarries weak link.

Ultimately, he should be applauded for making the most of his 2nd chance.

Who's it a call up for then? PDJ, Wilson or Thomas?

My thoughts would be PDJ into the EPS and Rupert Harden back into the Saxons after his rather odd omission post tour.

You cannot fault Matt Stevens for wanting to spend time with his family, when you take into account how many interntionals he would have been playing this year.

It will now give Stuart Lancaster a chance to bring in some younger player/s and build with them on to 2015 RWC.

Hmmm, I haven't been a fan of his for the last couple of years, but we're wearing thin on tight-head experience now. We're already overlying on Dan Cole, what happens if Harden gets injured? A fine tightrope to be walking because the alternatives don't exactly inspire faith. Paul Dorna-Jones seems to have regressed, Davey Wilson has dropped off the radar a bit and Henry Thomas is a couple of seasons from not being shunted around at AP level. Hmmm, not good.

Quite Cumbrian! Whoever gets called up to the EPS will be straight onto the Test bench as there's no other TH in the Senior squad bar Dan Cole.

As you say PDJ seems to have dropped off a bit scrummaging-wise. I'd like to see if Davy Wilson can come back and have a strong season for Bath as he used to be very highly rated. As far as Henry Thomas goes I don't think he's ready yet.

Isn't Quins Kyle Sinckler a tight head?? If so he'll be in there in a couple of seasons.

What about now though Yappy.

Lets hope Mr Gold takes Bath by the scruff of the next and kicks Attwood, Wilson and Fearns into action!

Davy Wilson was a really good prop when he left us...its bath thats shunted him...likewise Fearns and well Attwood not so much...

Experienced Props
Wilson
Harden
PDJ

Young but played a few games...not the finished article though
Thomas

Raw and a few seasons down the line
Sinkler
Scott Wilson (Falcons) if he elects England over Scotland.

yappysnap wrote:Isn't Quins Kyle Sinckler a tight head?? If so he'll be in there in a couple of seasons.

Yeah, I have no doubt that in 3-4 years Sinkler will be pushing for first team test honours. I do think that tight-heads mature a bit later than loose-heads though.


Other young tighheads:

Kieran Brookes- I was expecting big things from him last year, but his injury early on put paid to that. You've got to think that he is going to be raring to go this season. Should get plenty of game time with Cole and Castro away during the 6Ns and AIs.

Mako Vunipola- He can play both sides of the scrum, but he'd be well advised to concentrate on the tight head side. Maybe Sarries fans with inside knowledge can let us know if he is likley to get any game time this season.

Forgot about brookes Cumbrian...hopefully he can come back from the injury firing...

There's pictures of him on the Tigers website taking part in pre season and there's some in the local rag of him and some of the other Tigers surfing in Jersey before their friendly at the weekend. He should be good to go but probabley not going to be an international option before the 6N at the very earliest.

On the upside Tigers are famous for doing live scrummaging (Salvi reckoned Tigers did more in a week than the Brumbies did in a season) to he'll have lots of experience of scrummaging against the likes of Ayerza (very technical) and Mulipola (20 stone beast) which should have improved his set piece a bit.

defo Sam. Thats a lot of scrummaging...or a reason why the aussie scrum is rather lacking

Probably a bit of both there GF. Cockers likes his set pieces to be able to do a job and I'd imagine a lot of those scrums are getting the players to work with different combinations and making sure that each prop can deal with a different type of operator e.g. against the more technical Cole or the more powerful Castro etc. Tigers contact session are famous for being brutal.

I'll always have admiration for Stevens. Sure, he made a stupid mistake, but a couple of interviews I've read with him were some of the most revealing, honest and heart-felt that I'd seen from a sportsperson.

Playing-wise there was a time (before his ban) where he was looking really first-rate and internationally I thought he was going to be a star. His versatility being an extra bonus. When he returned I still had high hopes for him. It's wasn't to be though, as others have mentioned above it seems like two years was too long to be out of the game at the top level.

I think there is definitely an element of getting out while it's kinda your choice too. There's some younger talent that are already edging ahead of him.

I guess he's also got different priorities now. Good luck, Matt!

Not surprised, he looks unfit to me every time he plays.

But the guy deserves some credit for bouncing back from his problems.

Good luck for the future Matt.

It just seems odd to me that it's been at this time. He's already been up for the 3 day camp at Loughborough, so maybe Lancaster had another one of his quiet chats with him? Seems odd he was selected in the EPS though if that's the case.

For the AI's then we're looking at: 1. J Marler 3. D Cole --- 17. M Mullan 18. P Doran-Jones

Not a lot of experience there to say the least. I'm taking it as read that Corbs won't be back fit in time to take a place in the test team.

Mullan had a quiet first mid-week game on tour, but put in a good shift second time around I thought and he could have an impact.

It just seems odd to me that it's been at this time. He's already been up for the 3 day camp at Loughborough, so maybe Lancaster had another one of his quiet chats with him? Seems odd he was selected in the EPS though if that's the case.

Maybe it was on his mind and then the 3 day camp confirmed to him where he wanted to be so he sat down and had a word with Lancaster and then they agreed it should be announced yesterday after the camp was finished.

Well now that he is done, do ya think he will come back home now?

He's already at the Bok franchise in England Biltong. Don't think he'd survive in SA, you guys expect your fatties to be able to scrummage!

Not always Sam, if the coach likes you, you get gametime, ask Werner Kruger, Lawrence Sephaka, Eddie Andrews

Biltong wrote:Well now that he is done, do ya think he will come back home now?

Biltong you can have him back if we can have Pat Lambie back.

What's you claim on Lambie mate?

His great grandmother?

Biltong wrote:What's you claim on Lambie mate?

His great grandmother?

His Father and his passport!

Chjw131 wrote:

Biltong wrote:What's you claim on Lambie mate?

His great grandmother?

His Father and his passport!

His dad will never allow that mate, sorry.

I don't know he was pretty keen on him getting a British passport! Anyways i'll leave the grandmothers to your good self.

Stevens failed to produce at Int level and he's right to retire.

Pretty happy with the backup at TH in PDJ then Harden. With the 2 props on the bench Doran-Jones wont be needed at LH where he's poor.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Stevens failed to produce at Int level and he's right to retire.

Pretty happy with the backup at TH in PDJ then Harden. With the 2 props on the bench Doran-Jones wont be needed at LH where he's poor.

Harden isn't in the EPS or the Saxons squad. The TH's are: Davy Wilson, PDJ and Henry Thomas

Good news - means Stevens can focus on club rugby instead of slowly being phased out of the England squad which would be bad for his confidence. It's debatable whether he's good enough at club level these days let alone international standard.

Hopefully he'll take some time out to sort out his scrummaging because he'll get a bit more competition this season.

beshocked wrote:Good news - means Stevens can focus on club rugby instead of slowly being phased out of the England squad which would be bad for his confidence. It's debatable whether he's good enough at club level these days let alone international standard.

Hopefully he'll take some time out to sort out his scrummaging because he'll get a bit more competition this season.

I would stick with Nieto I think. Stevens has had a good career, but even before his ban he was more of a bench option for England, as his scrummaging has rarely been top drawer.

Harden isn't in the EPS or the Saxons squad. The TH's are: Davy Wilson, PDJ and Henry Thomas

They'll be space for him now Stevens has dropped out.

I would stick with Nieto I think. Stevens has had a good career, but even before his ban he was more of a bench option for England, as his scrummaging has rarely been top drawer.

I don't think Nieto can play for the full 80 mins anymore. They've got the young Italian international in though so he could start with Gill at loosehead and then on the bench is Nieto covering tighthead and Vunipola covering loosehead. Matt Stevens might be watching from the stands at this rate.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Harden isn't in the EPS or the Saxons squad. The TH's are: Davy Wilson, PDJ and Henry Thomas

They'll be space for him now Stevens has dropped out.

Agreed Sam, but it was in reference to the options currently in the squads going forward. Outside of Harden I can't think of anyone else who would come in to the Saxons. Brookes needs a full season and some time with Tigers, but am I right in thinking he was in the Saxons some time before?

He progressed to the Saxons, played in the Churchill Cup pre RWC, played for Tigers at the start of the season and then got injured. He missed the rest of the season but did manage to play in the firendly against Jersey on Saturday. He will not be ready for international first team action yet. 6N at the very earliest but that is a real long shot. Maybe if there is a Saxons tour next summer.

I think Brookes is a mile off Int rugby personally unless he's developed massively since leaving us.

Possibly Sgt, I haven't seen a great deal of him. Who else is on the list of TH though? I see people touting Sinckler a lot, and whilst he looks great it's a long road of development for a prop. Particularly when playing against older and much wiser opponents.