Matt Stevens

Now I didn't watch all of the Churchill Cup final but what I did see, both in the lead up games and part of the final was a large looking guy wearing a white number 3 shirt. I admit that I am a Stevens fan from before his ban. Solid in the scrum, able to play both sides to a high level, high tackle count and good in the loose with ball in hand, almost like a poor mans Castrogiavanni. Now I know he is not good enough to lace the great Castro's boots in terms of what he brings to the game but he does have a good engine and can comfortably last 80 minutes if required.

What surprised me is that he looked like he had put on some weight. I thought that as the season came to a close he looked more streamline for Saracens the more games he played and a result looked a better player and now England get hold of him and maybe feed him up, or is it that white is just a fattening colour? (don't they tell you to wear black if you have been eating all the pie's). I know that Rowntree knows a little bit more than me about prop play and conditioning but if they are beefing him up so to speak then what is the point of slowing him down around the park. It's not like he gets pushed back in the scrum, for Saracens or Saxons. Do England feel they need their tightheads to be more in the traditional solid and steady mode like Dan Cole or Mike Ross is for Ireland?

Also, what do people feel is his best position? I know he started mainly as a loosehead but England thought tighthead was his best position and so he played most of his games there for Bath before the ban. If, as seems likely he goes to the World Cup then the chances are that England will have him in their proformance squad for next season. Does that mean that Saracens will be encouraged to move him accross the scrum at the expense of Nieto and break up the more than useful front row of Stevens, Britts and Nieto?

It looks like he's aged a couple of years and puffed out a bit but men will do that as they go from their mid 20's to their late 20's.
I think he's cemented a place on the plane to New Zealand with his form. He's turned his life around and is a fantastic example of someone who makes a mistake and tried to amend it. Good luck to him.

AlynDavies wrote:It looks like he's aged a couple of years and puffed out a bit but men will do that as they go from their mid 20's to their late 20's.
I think he's cemented a place on the plane to New Zealand with his form. He's turned his life around and is a fantastic example of someone who makes a mistake and tried to amend it. Good luck to him.

I agree we gain a little weight (I'm in my mid thirties and about 20 pounds heavier than my late twenties) but it looks like he's managed to puff out between the Premiership Final and the Churchill Cup!

I do agree that he handled the ban incident very well and deserves to go to the World Cup.

B91212 wrote:I agree we gain a little weight (I'm in my mid thirties and about 20 pounds heavier than my late twenties) but it looks like he's managed to puff out between the Premiership Final and the Churchill Cup!

I do agree that he handled the ban incident very well and deserves to go to the World Cup.

It's taking place in England so I doubt he's had much chance to over indulge himself.
He's certainly not Richard Webster who came back from the 1993 Lions tour 2 stone heavier than when he left! Jason Leonard said his ability to enjoy the local hospitality was legendary!

Matt Stevens might of put on a bit of weight, but it did not seem to slow him down any.

I certainly think /believe that he will be on the plane to NZ and why shouldnt he be? He as turnd his life around since his ban, and in my opiniion is playing better than he was before he was banned.

From the little that I saw of the CC, he did seem like a bit of a tubster/podge-meister. It certainly looks like it must be true about drugs giving you the munchies

Maybe they want him to bulk up to cover tighthead? Wasn't he playing loosehead for Saracens?

Notch wrote:Maybe they want him to bulk up to cover tighthead? Wasn't he playing loosehead for Saracens?

He did play loosehead for Saracens, I just don't think he needs to bulk any more to play tighthead. Perhaps it is the white shirt / black shirt thing but he looks bigger to me than when he played for sarries. I'm sure it said on the Sky Sports stats as they gave the team details that he was 6ft and 19.6 stone. That's pretty chunky, even for a tighthead. I just don't think he needs that much bulk, he's already strong in the set piece and the heavier he is, the less he will get about in the loose. Still, I'm glad the English have him. With Sheridan and Cole as specialist loosehead and tighthead respectively and Stevens, Wilson, Corbisiro(sp) and Doran-Jones England have got plenty of cover in the props. From what I saw Mullen also looked pretty good in the Churchill Cup.