THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW
In his line of duty for Wales and the Lions, Ian ‘Ikey' Stephens went toe to toe with the two most fearsome tighthead props on either side of the Equator.
His role in the Five Nations required getting up close and personal with a brooding brute of a scrummager revered far beyond his native France as “The Bear of the Pyrenees”, Robert Paparemborde. His status as a judo black belt reinforced a towering sense of intimidation.
When the 1983 Lions recognised Stephens' ability to handle himself in the tightest of corners, the ever-affable Welshman relished the prospect of grappling with Gary Knight, then halfway through a nine-year reign as the anchor of the All Blacks' front row.
Like Paparemborde, Knight had another powerful string to his bow. A champion wrestler at super-heavyweight, he had won bronze in the 100kg class at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in his native Christchurch.
They loved ‘Ikey' because, no matter how tough the going, he never knowingly took a backward step. And now, almost 40 years after fighting the good fight against Papremborde, Knight, Iain Milne, Jim McCoy, Phil Blakeway and every other Test tighthead of the early Eighties, Stephens is in the throes of a fight like no other.
This one makes all those waged in the name of Wales and Lions shrink into insignificance by comparison. This one strikes deep into his heart and soul because it is a fight to save the life of his only daughter, adored and admired by her husband and their two girls as ‘Superwoman'.
Martine Peel is suffering from a rare form of ovarian cancer. Since diagnosis less than 18 months ago, she has undergone extensive chemotherapy as well as two major operations, the second of which revealed an inoperable pelvic tumour.
Far from giving up, Martine began a three-month course of experimental treatment in Istanbul at a clinic run by Chemothermia. She returned last weekend from the first course of treatment and is booked to return this Friday, not from Cardiff or Bristol but Stansted.
Fees and flights for each journey cost around £8,000. As the family patriarch, ‘Ikey' shoulders the burden along with his son Marcus of digging deep into their own pockets while trying to raise funds to cover the overall cost, estimated at a minimum of £75,000. Martine's family, husband Darren and daughters Darcy and Teiya, say they had no alternative. “We will do everything in our power to find the money and give our Mum a chance to see us grow alongside our wonderful Dad,'' say Darcy and Teiya. “We pray this will give Mum the best chance possible.''
At close of business on Friday, they had raised £62,000 via the online account, gofundme. The generosity of the donors moves Martine's father close to tears. “People have been so very kind that we can never thank them enough,'' says Ikey. “Honest to God, they have restored my faith in the human race. The response has been absolutely tremendous.
“As a family we decided to opt for an experimental treatment abroad instead of NHS treatments which have so far been unsuccessful. So many of Darcy's friends at university have contributed.
“They've made donations of £5 and £10 which they could not afford. I'd rather they had kept the money for their own use but they are lovely kids and what they've done to support us shows how much they care.
“I can never thank them enough. So many people have rallied around without waiting to be asked.”
A native of Tongwynlais, a village on the northern edge of Cardiff, Stephens played almost 400 matches for Bridgend, 14 for Wales and nine for the Lions, the majority as an uncapped member of Bill Beaumont's squad in South Africa in 1980.
“What we as a family have experienced since Martine's diagnosis is far tougher than the toughest battles I had on the rugby field,'' says ‘Ikey,' at 70 still working as sales manager for a chemical company. “This has been devastating. There is no comparison.
“Martine has an aggressive form of cancer and the specialists in Istanbul are treating it aggressively. We considered America before deciding that the Istanbul clinic offered my only daughter the best hope.''
The old Lions with whom Stephens went into battle on successive tours of South Africa and New Zealand in the early Eighties will be out in force for a dinner in aid of Martine's fund in October. In reeling off their names, ‘Ikey' sounds as though he's about to burst with pride.
“The Pontypool front row (Charlie Faulkner, Bobby Windsor, Graham Price), Derek Quinnell, Steve Fenwick, Terry Holmes, Gareth Davies, David Richards, Robert Jones, Brynmor Williams, Gwyn Evans, Bob Norster, Clive Williams, Alan Phillips, Lee Byrne. And, with a bit of luck, there'll be a few more.
“Sir Gareth Edwards is gutted that he can't be there due to a prior engagement but he's donating a fabulous item for the auction – an autographed print of the new painting of the greatest try, the one he scored for the Barbarians against the All Blacks.
“We've got some famous old Lions' jerseys for the auction and 30 balls, all signed by various teams. And we have an Ireland jersey from their winning series over the All Blacks signed by all concerned and donated by Tadhg Beirne.
“He's marrying a Welsh girl fairly soon. That's how he knew about Martine and why he went to the trouble to get something of real value for the dinner. I'm overwhelmed at the trouble the rugby family has gone to support us in our time of need.” www.gofundme.com/f/help-ourmum-martine-peel-beat-cancer
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