Steward’s grip on the number 15 jersey, which at one point spanned 28 consecutive Tests, ended abruptly when he was dropped for George Furbank for the 2024 Six Nations clash with Scotland.
Head coach Steve Borthwick saw Furbank as providing an extra attacking dimension in the backfield, but Steward still had to journey to Edinburgh as travelling reserve.
It became an unsparing demotion when it was covered during the second series of the Netflix documentary ‘Six Nations: Full Contact’, during which England’s high ball master is seen making an emotional call to his girlfriend to tell her the news.
Furbank, Marcus Smith and Elliot Daly were given opportunities in the position until Steward, having sharpened his attacking game and improved his one-on-one defence, was reinstated for the 2025 summer tour – and has started every major Test since.
“It was very public. That was the first time in my career I’d experienced a negative on that level, so it was really tough,” said 25-year-old Steward, who is set to continue at 15 for Saturday’s round two match against Scotland.
“I was relatively young then still and I probably victimised myself and blamed everything but myself.
“In rugby, things can change so quick. You can be right down at the bottom very quick and you come right back to the top very quick.
“I look back and it’s been a rollercoaster – the emotions, the experience. being at the top and then obviously not playing for a long time.
“But when something gets taken away from you, you get that extra bit of hunger and that extra bit of drive. That gave me a purpose.
“The last two years have been an opportunity for me to go away, work on myself, get better and not try and force my way back in because you can be guilty of trying to do that sometimes, trying to be someone you’re not.
“Looking back now, I don’t think I’d be sat here if I didn’t have that whole episode and everything that happened.
“I’m definitely a better rugby player and a better person because of that. I have matured because I had to learn how to deal with a scenario like that.
“Obviously I was gutted, so I wouldn’t say I was glad it happened, but I’m in a strong position now because it did.”
Steward played at Murrayfield in the 2022 Calcutta Cup meeting, but this time England head north of the border with a 12-Test winning run and confident of clinching a first victory at the venue since 2020.
“I love playing there,” Steward said. “Great atmosphere. Of course, at times it can be hostile, but as players, we have full confidence going there. Adds a bit of fuel to it, so really looking forward to going back.”
