No 悔いるs from me on calling time with England, says Stevens ahead of Lions 小旅行する

By Andrew Gwilym, 圧力（をかける） 協会

Published: 00:39 BST, 17 May 2013 | Updated: 00:39 BST, 17 May 2013

Matt Stevens is delighted to be 支援する の中で international rugby's エリート, but 主張するs he has no 悔いるs about calling time on his England career last summer.

The 30-year-old Saracens 支え（る） is the only player selected in 過密な住居 Gatland's 37-man British & Irish Lions squad not 現在／一般に playing 実験（する） rugby, after standing 負かす／撃墜する from Red Rose 義務 with 44 caps to his 指名する in August 2012.

But his form in helping Saracens reach the 半分-決勝戦 of the Heineken Cup and Aviva 首相の職 meant he was always on Gatland's レーダ, and he has got the nod to go on his second Lions 小旅行する, having been part of the trip to New Zealand in 2005.

Getting ready: Matt Stevens passes the ball a Lions training 開会／開廷／会期 this week

選択 is the 最新の 一時期／支部 in Stevens' remarkable rise from the low of the two-year 麻薬s 禁止（する） he received in 2009. But the South African-born 今後 does not 推定する／予想する to go 支援する on his 決定／判定勝ち（する） to make himself unavailable for England, whether 実験（する） honours 嘘（をつく） ahead in Australia or not.

'I am not thinking about that, it is just about this 小旅行する and I am relishing every minute of it,' said Stevens.

On the 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金: Stevens playing for Saracens against Bath earlier this month

'Any international player when they retire has second thoughts and it was the most difficult rugby 決定／判定勝ち（する） I have ever made.

'But it was the 権利 choice at the time, 明白に it has given me the chance to play week in, week out for Saracens and has got me in 論争 for this trip.

'It has been difficult but I didn't retire because I didn't think I was good enou gh, I retired because there were other things I needed to sort out to get 支援する playing for Saracens.

'I had just come 支援する from 傷害 and it wasn't fair on me playing a bit part for Stuart (Lancaster) when I thought I wasn't going to be there for the World Cup in 2015.'

England days: Stevens celebrates the 勝利，勝つ over フラン in the 2007 World Cup 半分-final

Stevens previous experience as a Lion （機の）カム on the ill-運命／宿命d 小旅行する of New Zealand under Sir Clive Woodward, which saw the tourists 苦しむ a 3-0 実験（する） series 敗北・負かす. Woodward was criticised for his 決定／判定勝ち（する） to 指名する a large 初期の party of 44 and to do away with the Lions tradition of players 株ing rooms.

On 小旅行する: Stevens playing for the Lions against Wellington in 2005

While Stevens 辞退するs to speak ill of the organisation of the 2005 小旅行する, he 定評のある he has already noticed some 肯定的な differences this time 一連の会議、交渉／完成する.

'I think 2005 was a wonderful experience for me at the time as I was a young player coming into the team, it was a disappointing 小旅行する 全体にわたる but I learnt a 抱擁する 量 from it,' he said.

'I know from playing with Saracens and with better and worse England teams that it is really important to be tightly knit as a 部隊, to be brothers in 武器 as it were, and that is something Gats is trying to work on with all of us.

'All the boys are open to building 会社／堅い 関係s, I also think the fact there are いっそう少なく players will help, everyone will have to muck in.'

Members of the squad not 準備するing for 国内の or European 決勝戦 started the week training at むちの跡s' base in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Stevens has 設立する himself rooming with scrum-half マイク Phillips, and 明らかにする／漏らすd he is already an 知識 of the Bayonne number nine's family.

He said: 'I was out in South Africa for the 2009 小旅行する watching in the stands. 'I was speaking to マイク Phillips here as he is my room-mate, and I was 現実に sat next to his mam and dad for the first 実験（する）, and I remember hugging his mum when he went over for that try in Durban.'