Sharks’ very own hot-Rodd hits 100 club caps this weekend and in Northampton Saints, he’ll be facing the same team he made his debut against as a 19-year-old in 2019. 

Back then it was Premiership Rugby Cup points on the line for a young Bevan, but now, as a 24-year-old fully-fledged international and a key part of Alex Sanderson’s squad, the stakes and the expectations are much higher. 

It’s been quite a journey from Dunoon, in Western Scotland, via the Isle of Man, Sedbergh School and spells in rugby National Leagues. But after reaching his century, the man Ugo Monye once described as ‘a serious bit of kit’ has a much bigger number in his sights. 

“I can remember my first appearance really well,” Bevan said. “It was in 2019 against Northampton in the Premiership Rugby Cup and I played the last 25 minutes. I’ve honestly never felt so gassed in my entire life. 

“I was in my second year of the academy and Valery Morozov was still away after the World Cup so Dimes gave me a chance. I was sh***ing myself to be honest but I must have done ok because I started the next week. 

“I’d been playing at Fylde and then at Sale FC and I found the step up huge. I’d love to watch the game back now because I just remember feeling totally out of my depth. The pace of the game, the physicality, the set-piece all felt too much and I was just surviving. 

“It’s crazy to think of it now because that feels like yesterday. But I’m 24 now, and I’ve played almost 100 games.” 

Bevan can hold his own in a scrum against any prop in world rugby. But it’s his ability around the field and at the breakdown that marked him out as a unique talent from an early age. 

Now it’s about taking that superpower and building on it and passing on his experience to the next generation of props. 

“I think I have changed as a player,” he said. “I think my set piece and tackle dominance is much higher and I’ve had to adapt to the pace of the game changing. Every year it feels like the pace of the game and the physicality goes up. 

“And I feel like the expectation on both myself and the team has changed too. When I first came into the team the focus was on having a good set-piece, tackling and clearing rucks, but now I’m expected to have a dominant carry, a dominant set-piece, get around the pitch, make turnovers. 

“People expect me to perform week in, week out now, whereas when you first come into the team and you don’t play well, it’s because you’re still learning. But I need to play well because there’s so much competition for the shirt. 

“I think I got into the team originally because the Curry boys were out and they needed someone who could jackal and get turnovers. I feel like that’s always been one of my strengths but I knew I had to get bigger and work on my set-piece and that’s what I’ve worked hard on this year. I feel like a reliable set-piece option now and my carrying and defence has got better but those things come with time and experience.  

“Jono Ross was captain when I came into the team and he was brilliant in terms of mentality and keeping everyone in check. I was friendly with him but I wouldn’t say we were mates. Ben is different as a captain, and me being mates with him has meant I’ve helped him out and picked his brain.” 

Bevan was only 21 when a positive Covid test for incumbent loosehead Joe Marler saw him he receive a late call-up to Eddie Jones’s England squad for the Autumn Series fixture against Australia. 

It was a baptism of fire for a young player who, at the time, could have still qualified for Scotland. But more than three years on, he’s now established in the England set-up and eager for more chances to shine. 

“I was definitely called up for England earlier than I expected,” he said. “Joe Marler tested positive for Covid and I got a chance to start. I came in on the Thursday and played against Australia on the Saturday without really knowing many of the calls. We have to learn maybe about 18 plays and then 15 lineout calls for each game so it was pretty tough. 

“Obviously you want to play in every game but I know that I’m really close. I’m in the squad at the moment and that means a lot and I really want the team to do well. But yeah, I want to play. 

“As a team in the Six Nations I feel like we proved a lot of people wrong and as a non-23 you’re a big part of that. Only 23 lads get to play but it’s a massive effort from everyone else to get the ready. Up front England have gone really well and I’m proud to have played a part in that. 

“Now the job is to bring that back into the Sale environment to see what can improve what we do here.” 

Life as a young prop, going head-to-head with masters of the dark arts can be tough. But Bevan has plenty of experience to lean on, including a fellow member of the Sharks front-row union who recently hit 300 club appearances.  

Ross Harrison was already well established in the first team when Bevan made his own breakthrough, but despite now being in direct competition for the number one jersey, Bevan says the experience the older man brings is invaluable.  

“It is challenging as a young prop, because you’re so clueless to what playing and training at this level involves,” he said. “Especially in the National Leagues where the refereeing can be a bit inconsistent. But that’s when experience around you helps. In my first game I was in the front row with Jake Cooper-Wooley and Rob Webber, and then in my first full season I played a lot with Akker van der Merwe and Coenie Oosthuizen and that was massive for my development. 

“Even now I’m still learning every day from guys like Ross Harrison and Si McIntyre – even Asher. He’s younger than me but he’s that good I can still learn from him. As a young player you have to be like a sponge and take on every bit of information that you can. It’s not just props either. When guys like Fordy, Dickie and Jonny Hill arrived at the club they brought so much information and experience around recovery, training and loads more. 

“We’ve got a lot of young props coming through now like Asher, Tye Raymont, Ralph McEachran, Patrice Bell and it’s come full circle. They’re asking me for advice and I try and help as much as I can. 

“That’s what the environment is like here. Everyone is pulling for the same thing and everyone supports each other. Every year it feels like training gets harder which I really enjoy. 

“I’d love to play 300 games like Ross, but it’s a long way off. What he’s done is just amazing. His dedication to rugby every single day really inspires me. He’s got a young family and he doesn’t need to train and grind every day but he does and that’s credit to him. 

“It’s the DNA of Sale . Everyone is grafting and trying to make the team and the club better and that’s why I love it so much. 

“It’s crazy how many local lads are coming through together. It’s only eight years ago that a lot of us were in the Sharks pathway, playing age grade together. I played in front of Reuban Birch at school and now we do it here, in Premiership games. It’s genuinely a dream come true. 

“I’ll be disappointed if we haven’t won trophies together by the time I get to 200. We know the talent is here and we’re really close.”