Bob Evans (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Bob Evans was a Welsh
rugby union
flanker who played club rugby for Newport and county rugby for Monmouthshire
. He played ten internationals for Wales
, and was selected for the British Lions
playing in all six tests of the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand
.
Evans was a hard tackling flanker, but his skill was seen in his intelligent defensive positioning. He would often sit behind the three midfield players in offence to ensure that if passing movements broke down the opposition could not counter attack. He specialised in subduing fly-half play and would often disrupt opposing midfield trios into poor positions causing errors in play without even engaging them.
at Rhymney
. He was invited to play for Newport against Swansea
in 1945 in a game at St Helens
, and joined the black and ambers that season.
On 22 March 1947, Evans was selected for Wales against France at Stade Colombes. Evans was a late substitute, replacing the injured Ossie Williams, and would represent Wales on ten occasions, scoring his one and only try
during his second game, in a match against Ireland.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
flanker who played club rugby for Newport and county rugby for Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire County RFC
Monmouthshire County RFC is a Welsh rugby union club that manages an invitational team, known as Monmouthshire that originally played rugby at county level...
. He played ten internationals for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, and was selected for the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
playing in all six tests of the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand
1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
The British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1950 was the first post-war tour made by the Lions; there had not been one since 1938....
.
Evans was a hard tackling flanker, but his skill was seen in his intelligent defensive positioning. He would often sit behind the three midfield players in offence to ensure that if passing movements broke down the opposition could not counter attack. He specialised in subduing fly-half play and would often disrupt opposing midfield trios into poor positions causing errors in play without even engaging them.
Rugby career
Evans won a Welsh Secondary Schools cap while at Rhymney Secondary School, and after leaving school joined the Monmouthsire Police. In 1943 he joined the Royal Air Force and played rugby for several unit teams. After he was demobbed, he rejoined the police force and was elected captain of his local rugby clubRhymney RFC
Rhymney Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Rhymney in Wales. The Senior team presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East league. Rhymney is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.Rugby union was first played in...
at Rhymney
Rhymney
Rhymney is a town and a community located in the county borough of Caerphilly in south-east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Along with the villages of Pontlottyn, Fochriw, Abertysswg, Deri and New Tredegar, Rhymney is designated as the 'Upper Rhymney Valley' by the local...
. He was invited to play for Newport against Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
in 1945 in a game at St Helens
St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea, Wales. It is used for both rugby and cricket.It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night fireworks display.-History:Since the ground opened in...
, and joined the black and ambers that season.
On 22 March 1947, Evans was selected for Wales against France at Stade Colombes. Evans was a late substitute, replacing the injured Ossie Williams, and would represent Wales on ten occasions, scoring his one and only try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
during his second game, in a match against Ireland.