After 18 years, it is almost time to say farewell to Harlequins' resident Kiwi. Not every overseas recruit becomes part of the fabric of a team thousands of miles from home, but that has long been the case with Nick Evans, a Premiership winner with Quins as a player and a coach in 2012 and 2021 respectively. As the former All Blacks fly-half conceded this week: "It's going to be really hard to let go of this club."
During his playing days, the skilful, popular Evans personified everything good about the way Quins approached the game. As a coach, he has been similarly positive, endlessly seeking fresh ways to crack opposition defences. Quins may have endured a disappointing season, but that should not tarnish the sizeable contribution that Evans, now 45, has made during his residency at the Stoop.
Before Saturday's clash with Exeter across the road at Allianz Stadium, Evans shared his insights on English rugby. He has some fascinating and forthright views, not least regarding the national team's prospects at next year's World Cup.
England's World Cup Prospects
"I'd definitely put them up there as a team who can go and cause some trouble," says Evans. "There are five teams at the top of the world at the moment who, on their day, can all beat each other and go on and win the World Cup. I'd definitely have England in that group. You've got so many quality players. Most of the games in the Prem are fantastic and there's some unbelievable young English talent coming through."
Marcus Smith and the English Identity
Evans has spent years mentoring Marcus Smith, who is still trying to nail down the England starting 10 jersey. Evans knows how that feels, having spent much of his Test career playing second fiddle to Dan Carter. He is unsure whether Smith's skill set fits England's traditional template. "In terms of Marcus – and you'd probably say the same about Danny Cipriani and players in that mould – Jonny Wilkinson set the stall out as to what an English 10 should be. That's kind of the identity … unbelievable at game management, that George Ford/Owen Farrell type of player. When you put a maverick into that system and it's not going quite right it'll default back to that English identity. I think he's always going to be fighting that."
Evans, who coached England's backs during the 2023 Six Nations, suggests a middle ground could be found. "You could probably learn from South Africa a little bit. They have a really clear DNA in terms of how they want to play the game. A physical set piece, a kicking style … but what they've done is adapted and evolved." He adds, "There is an English DNA and I've no problem with that. But how do we evolve and fit in a player like Marcus or Henry Arundell, who has the ability to play what they see?"
New Zealand's Innovation Fading
Evans's time in the north has taught him that New Zealand are no longer the global game's undisputed tactical gurus. "We always used to think that innovation came from New Zealand. Mate, I think that's gone. I think innovation now is coming from the French, the Irish … up here people are trying to find different ways of playing the game. I think it's almost a case of New Zealand having to catch up."
Leaving Harlequins with Sweet Sorrow
Wherever he goes next, several high-profile sides are courting him, and he will leave with genuine sweet sorrow. "Being the competitive person I am, you always think: 'Aw, we could have done more.' Particularly with that golden generation we had between 2011 and 2015. But when I look back I'm really proud to be the last of that generation who truly lived and breathed what Quins' identity was."
Somewhere along the way, the time-honoured True mantra that once defined Quins – "Tempo, Ruthless, Unpredictable, Enjoyment" – has been mislaid. "If we're being honest, we have been consistently inconsistent around our identity. Tempo is not always allegro … Collin Osborne used to say that. You also need control."
Personal Gratitude and Family
Evans will walk away a thankful man, grateful for the kindness shown to himself, his wife Sally, and their three children. Their youngest son, Billy, has special educational needs, and Evans insists Sally deserves more praise. "For 18 years, to be brutally honest, it's been all about me as a player and a coach. My wife is superhuman."
He will cherish the wet Friday night in 2008 when, after 29 phases, he dropped a famously low-flying goal to beat Stade Français at the Stoop. "That will be my forever memory of Quins. I can picture it now. After Nigel Owens and the TMO finally confirmed the ball had gone over, the energy and noise released in that stadium for the next 30 seconds was unlike anything I've ever heard. It was just unreal. When I sit back and I'm 70 years old, that's what I'll be thinking about. For me, it's not about the rugby or the trophies. It's the people, the connection and the belonging that you get."
