Bath and England prop Matt Stevens is facing a lengthy ban from rugby after failing a drugs test.

The England prop, 26, was immediately given a provisional ban from all competition after testing positive for a recreational drug, believed to be cocaine.

He could now be looking at a two-year ban from the game after admitting he has failed a test and has a problem with a "very serious substance".

Bath Rugby, with whom Stevens has a contract until 2012, have suspended the player until the case has been resolved, while he has also been dropped from England's Six Nations Championship squad.

"I was tested for a prohibited substance but it's not performance-enhancing, so you can take what you want from that," said Stevens, who has 32 caps for England.

"It's a very serious substance and something that I've, over a period of time, realised I have an issue with, something that I think has basically ruined my life up until this point.

"It's pretty distressing talking about this when you think how much time and effort so many people have put into my career and I've thrown it away with irresponsible behaviour.

"Like any drug problem, you don't know it's happening and it mounts up – before you know it you're sat there with a problem and an illness."

Stevens failed the test after his side's Heineken Cup victory at Glasgow last month – and as a result has delivered a potentially crushing blow to his team ahead of their biggest match of the season.

Bath will book a home quarter-final in the same competition if they beat French champions Toulouse at the Recreation Ground on Sunday – but will now have to do so without one of their best players.

Stevens says he has started counselling after accepting he has a problem with the drug.

"It started off just a couple of nights where you'd take it after a big night out with your friends and it wasn't a big deal – and that's the problem with drugs," he said.

"It so quickly becomes a big deal and I owe it to everyone to admit that. I want to say I'm truly very sorry. I started (counselling) before the tests came out.

"I want to change my life and also, hopefully, one day get back the faith that people had in me."