Lion Stevens heads home for a swansong with Super 15 side Natal Sharks



Saracens' former England prop Matt Stevens has agreed to return home to Durban in South Africa this summer to play Super 15 rugby for Natal Sharks.

It means the 31-year-old will see out the final stages of his career in the city by the Indian Ocean where he was born. Sportsmail understands Stevens has signed a deal with the Sharks, who travelled to London for a match against Saracens last month as part of a pre-season campaign.

Homeward bound: Matt Stevens will leave Saracens at the end of the season

While the Aviva Premiership club have had strong ties with South Africa for years, there has been a particular link with the Sharks of late. When World Cup-winning former Springbok captain John Smit ended his playing career at Saracens last summer, he was soon appointed chief executive of the Durban franchise which he played for previously for years.

Now the former hooker has turned to former front-row colleague Stevens, who can pack down on either side of the scrum. However, he will have a fight on his hands to secure a regular place.

The Sharks already have first-choice Bok props Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira and Jannie du Plessis. Yet, Stevens has embraced more significant challenges.

He played 44 Tests for England after emerging at Bath in the 2002-03 season and was a Lion in 2005 and last year. But his career has been punctuated by a positive test for recreational drugs in 2009, which led to a two-year ban.

His rehabilitation and re-emergence served as an inspiration.