Evans above! Wales Grand Slam hero Ian reflects on his career...
HE IS a Welsh double Grand Slammer with a Six Nations win record that eclipses that of any of the 1970s greats – yes, Barry, Gareth, Benny, JPR, Pricey, Gerald, JJ, Merve the Swerve and all – and he is also known as one of rugby’s great characters with a razor-sharp wit that has seen him emerge unscathed from many a dressing-room joust.
Let’s not focus on the time during one of his intellectual phases at the Ospreys when the then crocked Ian Evans drained the ink from pens before Jonathan Thomas oversaw a line-out meeting that required those present to take notes.
No, let’s instead recall that the 6ft 8in forward was part of 13 winning teams in 14 championship outings for Wales.
That gives him an extraordinary win percentage of 92.85, a figure that not even Gareth Edwards (75.55%), Mervyn Davies (79.03), JPR Wlllliams (80.68) and JJ Williams (76.00) gets anywhere near.
Evans also shapes up well in the international silverware stakes, having played in three Six Nations title-winning sides, including those that completed Grand Slams in 2008 and 2012.
Yet few mention him when those successes are raked over.
But he was the chap with the commanding height, fast feet and telescopic reach who supplied a stack of quality line-out ball and in so doing helped turn a long-time area of Welsh weakness into a source of strength.
While Alun Wyn Jones deservedly attracted many headlines, Evans more than did his bit as part of a top-line boilerhouse pairing that was vital to Wales enjoying their most successful period since the halcyon days of the ’70s.
Evans was in the thick of it. He was at Gareth Jenkins’ final fling as Wales coach in Nantes in 2007 and he was in Cardiff four months later when a Welsh Grand Slam was improbably completed. He saw Scott Williams race clear for a try at Twickenham in 2012 and he witnessed Richard Hibbard smithereening Joe Marler as Wales ran out 30-3 winners over England in 2013.
But all good things come to an end and earlier this year the big man announced his retirement as a player because of injury at the age of 32.
The former Wales, Lions, Ospreys and Bristol ace played under Warren Gatland, Scott Johnson and Gareth Jenkins, but who was the coach he rated most highly?
Who was the best player he played alongside?
Why did he pack in early and what are his plans post-playing? wouldn’t have dreamed about playing in a side that contained players of the calibre of Jerry Collins, Marty Holah and Filo Tiatia; I wouldn’t have imagined playing in front of a scrum-half like Justin Marshall.
There were brilliant Welsh players as well, such as Duncan Jones, Adam Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Alun Wyn Jones and Shane Williams. I have missed a load out, but they were top blokes and top players. I was lucky to play alongside them all. MARTY Holah, probably.
It’s a really tough question, but when he signed for us he still had a lot of petrol in the tank and for three or four seasons he was fantastic, a phenomenal player.
He was brilliant at turning over opposition ball and it said everything about him that he won over 30 caps for the All Blacks during an era when they had Richie McCaw playing in the same position. He looked after himself, was strong and fit and professional in everything he did. There were other excellent players, but Marty was something else.
Those three – Lyn, Humph and Clive Jones – are all outstanding and there are others I could mention as well. I guess I played some of my best Test rugby under Warren Gatland.
And you can’t take away from him what he has achieved generally as a coach. He is someone who gets results and he has done so over a long period. FAIR play to him, he’s had a great career.
He always worked hard at his game and was on the money physically and mentally from a young age. I’ve said before that he somehow always managed to keep going in games – just when you’d think he was tiring he’d lift himself and come up with some outstanding contribution around the park.
It’s well-documented how demanding he can be in training and in match situations, but it’s good because he sets standards and keeps them high.
I know him well and he can be intense, but there be another side to him – you just have to catch him at the right time.
He’s a good guy and it was great to play alongside him.