Stevens has already been attending drug counselling sessions

Matt Stevens's positive drug test is an 'isolated incident', according to Rugby Football Union chairman Martyn Thomas.

The 26-year-old England and Bath prop was suspended this week after admitting he took a prohibited substance.

"One is too many, but out of 459 tests (on English players) last season we had two incidents," Thomas told BBC Sport.

And with England's Six Nations campaign kicking off on 7 February, Thomas added: "I don't believe this will impact the team in any shape or form."

Thomas said all drug test failures were treated just as seriously by the RFU, regardless of whether the drug was performance-enhancing or recreational, and that they adopted a "zero tolerance" policy.

So far in the 2008/09 season 150 tests have been carried out on rugby players in England, with over 80% conducted out of competition with no advance notice.

606: DEBATE I for one hope that both Bath & England get behind Matt and give him the help he needs to get through this jonnyboy1977

The RFU is the only Union of the International Rugby Board to have their own full-time anti-doping officer, and despite being "disappointed" by the case, Thomas emphasised that Stevens would not be cast aside.

"He is part of the rugby family and at the end of the day the crown may have slipped, but we will still gather around and support one of our family," Thomas said to BBC Radio 5 Live.

Veteran Leicester prop Julian White has come in to replace Stevens in England's elite squad ahead of the Six Nations.

Thomas added: "It is not ideal preparation for England, but (team manager) Martin Johnson is very robust and so are England."

The England senior squad head for a week's training camp in Portugal on Sunday and play Italy at Twickenham in two weeks.

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