What it's like as New Zealand's oldest returning Super Rugby player after nine years abroad
It’s been 10 years since new Highlanders lock Bryn Evans last played Super Rugby.
Now the 36-year-old is in the running to debut for his new team when the Highlanders host the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Aotearoa season-opener at Forsyth Barr Stadium this Friday.
Playing under the closed roof of the 30,000-capacity stadium is a new experience in itself for Evans, who said at a press conference on Monday that the last time he played in Dunedin was at Carisbrook, which was demolished in 2013.
“There’s a few things a bit different,” Evans laughed. “I’m pretty sure back then I had to worry about the weather, so that’s one thing I won’t have to worry about now.”
Evans’ last match in Dunedin would have come while playing for Hawke’s Bay against Otago in the 2010 ITM Cup, a campaign of which he played all 13 games for the Magpies en route to an eighth-place finish.
That came about a year after he made his All Blacks debut at the same ground, coming off the bench against France in a shock 27-22 defeat.
He would make his second and final test appearance against the same opposition, again off the bench, a week later in Wellington, when the All Blacks redeemed themselves with 14-10 win.
However, failure to regain his place in the national side, and an underwhelming 2011 Super Rugby season with the Hurricanes, which saw him feature just once off the bench, led to Evans’ departure to Europe.
After stints in England and France with London Irish, Biarritz and Sale Sharks, Evans made the Northern Hemisphere his home for nine years between 2011 and 2020.
He impressed there too, earning selection in a Premiership Team of the Decade, selected by for England and British and Irish Lions midfielder Will Greenwood.
However, an opportunity to return home and play for Hawke’s Bay alongside younger brother and one-test All Blacks flanker Gareth was one too hard to turn down for Evans, as he said when it was announced he had return to the Magpies last year.
He said that he didn’t have any set-in-stone goals to make a Super Rugby comeback upon his return to New Zealand, but conceded it was “a bit hard to say no” when the Highlanders offered him his second chance at that level.
Reds captain James O'Connor has put Super Rugby AU on notice, warning that his side still have plenty of room for improvement despite thumping the Waratahs 41-7 on Friday. https://t.co/wyEDbJHUQe
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“It sort of just snowballed a little bit. I started playing for the Bay and just enjoyed being in that sort of environment,” Evans said.
“Browny [Highlanders head coach Tony Brown] came calling and that didn’t really take much for me to get down here.”
The influence of Gareth played its role in getting Bryn back to Dunedin, given the Hurricanes star played for the Highlanders between 2014 and 2017 and won a Super Rugby title with the franchise in 2015.
“He was the first port of call and he had nothing but good things to say about Dunedin life. Obviously he was a bit younger when he was down here so he was doing a few different things that I’ll be doing.
“But, the environment, the coaches, he said if you get a chance to be part of something like that, then just go all in.”
It seems that advice has held true, as Evans said he has enjoyed his time in Dunedin and with the Highlanders after being named in this year’s squad in December.
“It’s been really enjoyable. It’s been tough, a tough pre-season, and the bones have been creaking a few days, but it’s been good. You kind of just get up and go again and put your best foot forward.”
The fact he gets on well in a squad with teammates 15 years his junior – like Folau Fakatava, Scott Gregory and Connor Garden-Bachop – is a testament to the culture and cohesion at the Highlanders.
Evans said he’s fortunate that he has a fellow old head in the squad in the form of 34-year-old prop Josh Hohneck, who is also returning to Super Rugby after a lengthy spell in England.
“I’ve got Josh Hohneck here to kind of bounce a few old stories off, but other than that, we’re up there by a bit [in terms of age],” he said.
“But it’s kind of good. It motivates you to keep going.”
Super Rugby AU has kicked-off for 2021, but which five players impressed the most in the opening weekend of the competition? #SuperRugby #SuperRugbyAU https://t.co/jS7Ws7K1fg
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 22, 2021
Evans featured in the Highlanders’ two pre-season fixtures against the Crusaders and Hurricanes over the past fortnight and remains in contention for selection this weekend.
Brown said after his side’s win over the Hurricanes in Alexandra last Friday that some tough selection decisions would have to be made, including at lock, but Evans made it clear that, regardless of his age, he wants to play the reigning champions on Friday.
“They’re the pinnacle and anyone who goes out there to play rugby at this level wants to test themselves against the best. To get that opportunity, I’d really relish that. Just have to try and put my hand up.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
2 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
2 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
10 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
10 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
10 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to comments