Matt Stevens has had a lot on his plate in the past few days. He, along with his Bath colleagues, have had to digest the departure at the end of this season of Steve Borthwick, the club captain, to Saracens, their Guinness Premiership opponents tomorrow. Also, there is Bath’s league run to sustain, plus biting back the frustration of having to take second place to Phil Vickery, the England captain, as the RBS Six Nations Championship approaches.

It is the pauses for thought that are instructive with Stevens. The prop seeks to match diplomacy with a hint of his true feelings where his personal situation is concerned, but Borthwick’s decision brings a prompt response, echoed elsewhere among the playing staff. “We’re all disappointed he’s leaving, but I understand why, and it’s not a monetary decision,” Stevens, 25, said.

“Steve’s a huge and loyal member of this club, probably the most loyal over the last ten years and the most hard-working rugby player I have played with. There are a lot of issues involved. All the senior players are ambitious that we continue along the path the club has taken this season, but there are big changes still to be made.”

Stevens remains in negotiation over a new contract; discussions yesterday have left the club management optimistic that he will stay. Northampton are said to have approached him and while Bath have addressed many of the problems of which Borthwick and David Barnes, their prop who is chairman of the Professional Rugby Players’ Association, complained last season, the club remain in limbo over such fundamental matters as ground development and training facilities.

“I do feel huge loyalty to Bath, mostly to the boys in the squad — we’re a band of brothers,” Stevens, who arrived from his native South Africa five years ago, said. “I will move if the conditions aren’t right, but I want to make it clear that I don’t think this is an easy position for Andrew [Brownsword, the chairman], the club or the coaches to be in. It’s difficult to move forward, but the city has to realise this club does a huge amount for it.”

And what of England? When Vickery was suspended during the World Cup, Stevens played well on the tight-head side, well enough to prevent Vickery returning straight away against Samoa. The captain has acknowledged the competition from Stevens only this week and if the two are rivals, they are also friends.

“I realise how integral Phil is to a successful Six Nations,” Stevens, who has 21 caps, said. “With all that in mind, I still have to do what I would be doing if he wasn’t captain, and fight for the place. I respect Phil a huge amount. I’ve spoken before about Os du Randt [the South African] and other props I admire, but Phil has been the guy I always wanted to replicate. I take a lot from the attitude he takes into games. I’ll take as much as I can from him and try to use it against him. There’s no animosity, we both understand the position we’re in. I’ll try my best to get the No 3 shirt so that, with Phil, Tim [Payne] and Shez [Andrew Sheridan], I can help create the best front-row unit in the world.”

As well as luring away Borthwick, who plays against them tomorrow, Saracens have also agreed a two-year contract with Michael Owen, who ended the 2005 Six Nations as the man who led Wales to the grand slam. Owen, capped 41 times and a 2005 Lion in New Zealand, will leave Newport Gwent Dragons at the end of this season. He has the ability to play anywhere in the back five of the scrum.