Evans harbours hopes of All Blacks return

Alam Khan

• Last Updated: November 05. 2009 10:16PM UAE / November 5. 2009 6:16PM GMT

The Harlequins fly-half Nick Evans accepted an international exile from New Zealand. Warren Little / Getty Images

Having always dreamed of playing for his country as a child, it was the hardest decision of Nick Evans’s life to make a move that could deprive him of wearing the All Blacks jersey again.

But when you have Dan Carter standing in your way of a regular place, the fly-half knew it was right to accept a lucrative overseas post with Harlequins a year ago and thus consign himself to international exile.

When New Zealand take on Wales in Cardiff tomorrow, Evans, 29, will have no regrets.

In fact, a return is still possible. “Never say never,” he said. “I have one more season left after this one at Quins and we will see what happens.

“I am really happy here, but if the opportunity was there, then I can’t say I wouldn’t think about going back and giving it a crack for the World Cup in 2011.”

Evans last played for the All Blacks in the 2007 tournament when they went out in the quarter-finals to France, with Carter blamed by the New Zealand media in some quarters for the loss.

Yet Evans feels Carter is essential in their quest to restore their status as the world’s best.

“When he’s on song, it’s pretty tough to contain him,” added the former Auckland Blues player. “Things haven’t gone well recently and the pack has been bullied a bit by South Africa. It’s harder as a first-five when you are going backwards, but he’s got the skills and nous for the game. It’s the sign of a class player when the pressure is on and he looks like he has so much more time than when the pressure is off.

“He runs the ship and makes all the big decisions. Dan’s one of those special guys that comes along and unfortunately my mum had me at the wrong time really.”

But New Zealand will need more than Carter to surpass the Boks as the No 1 team again, according to Evans.

“South Africa have been the benchmark, especially in the past six months, and they have their way of playing.

“It’s not necessarily the right way, but what they do, they do it really well. They do it with aggression and passion,” he said.

“The All Blacks have been slated back home for not performing in the Tri Nations and they will want to prove a point on this tour.

“I think they will do well, but it’s hard coping with the pressure as an All Black, When I was playing for them, we were always No 1, treated ourselves as No 1 and expected to win games.

“All of a sudden you get the demons coming in when things aren’t going right and it’s hard to address games.

“They just need to think they are the best in the world again.”



akhan@thenational.ae