Stevens and Cole commence battle for England shirt
For two current England tighthead props, the seasonal Aviva Premiership reaches its climax next month as all roads lead to New Zealand and the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Both Dan Cole and Matt Stevens, of Leicester Tigers and Saracens respectively, are hoping for their shot at World Cup glory as part of Martin Johnson's 30 man squad.
Looking at their careers to date, the battle between the rampaging duo is fascinating. In international terms, at the age of 23 with only 16 England caps to his name, Cole is relatively inexperienced at this level. Having made his debut for the Red Rose in the 2010 Six Nations, he then played his part in last summer's historic victory on Australian soil against the Wallabies. Cole was instrumental in that match giving him a taste of what international rugby is all about. His career has been successful yet brief and he is a burgeoning talent with a few rough edges capable of getting even better given the chance.
But Stevens has other ideas. The 28 year old is a seasoned operator with 32 caps having previously spent seven seasons with Bath Rugby before his infamous two year drugs ban back in 2009. The South African born prop was banned from the sport he loved for two years but that break allowed him to get back on track and reevaluate where he was going wrong in life both on and off the rugby field.
With that, adversity has brought out the best in the 2005 British and Irish Lion. He was embarrassed by his actions feeling he had let himself down, unsure whether he would ever reach the dizzy heights of international stardom ever again. Having already played for his adopted country in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Stevens is starting to get the itch, starting to feel the need to once again put his body on the line against the world's elite.
A change in club from the West Country to London has seen a rejuvenated Stevens put in a string of fine performances in Saracens colours to put his hand up for international selection. A recent man of the match performance against old club Bath has raised the question about whether he can dislodge Cole in time for England's opening match of the World Cup against Argentina on September 10th. The Pumas are renowned for their pack, priding themselves on their forward power and scrummaging. Stevens has put pressure on Cole providing healthy competition for places by getting a regular run of games at club level.
Not always first choice at the Tigers, Cole has often had to play second fiddle on the bench this season. Experienced Italian Martin Castrogiovanni has been difficult to dislodge for Cole who has certainly learnt a lot from 'Castro'. With Phil Vickery's recent retirement due to injury, Cole has stepped up to the mark and been a permanent figure in the England set up. The tighthead jersey could be his for years to come if he builds on the promise he has shown down at both Welford Road and Twickenham.
Stevens is the more experienced and versatile of the duo. He is renowned for his work rate in the loose and ball carrying ability. Whilst not a specialist scrummager, his ability to play both sides of the scrum could make him an invaluable asset for Johnson to bring off the bench for fresh legs throughout the World Cup.
In recent times for both club and country, Cole has been on the wrong end of two comprehensive beatings at the hands of Ireland, Leinster, and Cian Healy. Rightly or wrongly, this has led to a couple of doubts about Cole's ability to hand high pressure situations. You have the Leicester connection with ex Tigers Martin Johnson, John Wells and Graham Rowntree being in the England coaching set-up still having strong links to the most successful English club to date in the professional era.
With David Wilson, Andrew Sheridan, Paul Doran-Jones and Alex Corbisiero, England appear to have strength in depth in the propping department. Having Joe Marler and Tim Payne as potential back-up options, the clash between Stevens and Cole is even more fascinating. Johnson will probably take four of five props to the land of the long white cloud and competition looks fierce and promising even five months away from the big kick off.
All eight are in with a realistic shout of making it so be sure that both Matt Stevens and Dan Cole will do all they can to beat one another to that England starting birth. Let the battle commence.
