Saracens

Ferdie says...

just saw this one. no mention of injury at 29 not old for a prop - so he is going to keep playing for saracens? and then - i don't know enough about him but is he likely to go in to a coaching role with the club? sometimes wonder what becomes of these players - who have been in the professional era and maybe not had time to ever get an occupation/career beyond rugby.

a few months back paul tito came back to nz (from cardiff blues) at 34 and said he had never had a job since school - hope he's saved a bit, he's now doing unpaid with his old high school team

Posted 07:19 05th September 2012

APV1 says...

@ daibok - he came to England because he had English parents and wanted to study here (such is the dire education available in SA, it would appear). Having played for SA U18 and U19 and then England U21, he realised that the standard in SA was so poor that he never wanted to go back.

I also heard that he found SA full of people who like to put "bok" in their username and have an unhealthy affiliation with Eugène Terre'Blanche.

Can't blame him really, can you?

Posted 17:15 10th August 2012

daibok says...

UBAO5 - I have nothing against Stevens but he wasnt good enough to play 44 tests for his country. That's why he came to England.

Posted 12:15 10th August 2012

APV1 says...

@ tha_mai - you're serious aren't you?! You actually believe that a single player is responsible for the win : loss ratio of a team. Do you play, or have you played, rugby? At any level? Even at the levels I played we considered it to be a TEAM SPORT.

I get the suspicion that you have played at no higher than junior school level and base all of your knowledge on stats and media. You probably watch a few games too, but I suspect you find them tiresome and unexciting. Most on here love the game, you seem to love nothing more than to criticise.

"One of the adequates of the game; hardly memorable or headline-worthy."

"Hardly memorable to me as a 'great' internationally, but perhaps makes the grade as far as English statisticians go. Adequate."

He's still a whole lot better than all of us. Yes, you included.

Why do you have such an issue with England and all things English? You seem to troll the England rugby stories and chuck around useless facts as if to prove a point. The only point you're proving is what a twerp you are.

Who do you support? Let's pick one of their props - one who usually sits on the bench, rather than their first pick - and have a look at their win : loss ratio shall we? Actually, let's not. That'd just be sad and pathetic.

Like you.

Posted 12:09 10th August 2012

Chubbylugs says...

Payrise at sarries a la Julian white at tigers?

Posted 10:56 10th August 2012

APV1 says...

@ ArmchairGeneral, lawynd & Dingbat32 - Hear! Hear!

@ craigster99 - it was a drugs ban for taking recreational. He did his time in exile and came back - a lot more than many of the other Bath players who were at it, who ran for the hills and "retired". I'm a Bath fan and it was a low, low time for us as a team. But at least he had the balls to admit he had an issue and sought the help he required.

The fact that on his return there were better props around is another matter. I wish he been allowed to specialise as a TH or LH, rather than being forced to "play both sides", which I think was to his detriment.

And he still has 44 caps (including a RWC Final) more than us lot!

@ JamieTheProp - if not D-J, who I think will develop into an excellent prop, then who? Bear in mind who's ahead of him in the pecking order, he'll learn a lot from them and Rowntree, and I think he has great potential. But I played back-row, so I'll admit my knowledge of the FR "Dark Arts" is limited.

@ tha_mai - played much international rugby, have you? A RWC final? A B&I Lions Tour? Nope? Mediocre compared to some of the world's best is still a flimsy argument; but compared to the rest of the world, no he's not. Even if he was 4th choice for England and England's props were the worst of the top 20 nations, that still makes him the 80th best prop in the world (pendants not welcome - I'm making a point, not actually trying to give a statisticion a semi- !!!).

Give the guy a break. He was never the best prop in the world and never claimed to be. He missed a huge chunk of his best years during his ban, so who knows what he could have been. Should he have taken drugs? No. Should he have had help more readily available? Without doubt. Too many players are suffering in silence and I hope Ding-Dong's recent admission will make it easier for those who are to get the help they need.

Posted 09:27 10th August 2012

UBA05 says...

@ tha_mai and you played for which national team??? Oh yeah, sorry I forgot, sitting on the couch on your fat a*# doesn't count!

The man played 44 tests for his country, Even if he doesnt measure up to your 'high" standards, read the story and move on or skip it altogether. No need for your disrespectful nonsense.

The least a man (always seemed like a good guy to me) retiring after playing for 44 tests deserves is some respect!!!

Posted 09:24 10th August 2012

BMakka8 says...

It was perhaps inevitable, but still a great shame, that he came back from his ban only half the plaer he was before. He suffered from being (just about) able to play at loosehead aswell as his preferred tighthead position, so is now realtively weak in the scrum for England and has also lost his mobility in the loose. He certainly isn't a loss to England on current form.

That said, I always thought that he was a very humble (difficult for a Saffa!) person and genuinly nice guy, who had personal issues, but got over them. Apparantly, during his ban he learnt judo and got to the National finals within 12-14 months!

The sooner international ruls allow teams to have 2 props on the bench, the better as there are very few players who can be equally effective on both sides, so players like Stevens are always going to be maligned for being weak on their less favoured side.

Marler surprised me slightly on the SA tour, he was better in the scrum than I thought he would be, so he and Corbs seem to be two pretty good looseheads. The problem is a second tighthead behind Cole. I'm not sure that we have a back up who can step up to international rugby.

Posted 08:19 10th August 2012

JamieTheProp says...

Doran Jones should get nowhere near a props jersey after his performance is SA - ever!

Posted 01:13 10th August 2012

Dingbat32 says...

craigster99 - the ban was for addiction to recreational drugs, not for using drugs for sporting enhancement. Big difference, hence compassion for Stevens, and belief from many that extent of his ban was harsh. After all, other users at Bath got off scot free!

Posted 22:47 09th August 2012