Jarrod Evans believes that being part of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations has already improved him as a player and now he is looking use that experience to weather an early England storm at Twickenham.
Fly-half Evans has come off the bench for each of Wales’s three Championship games to date and could be in line for more playing time this weekend as Dan Biggar battles a knee injury.
The 23-year-old has played against England before – helping Wales win 13-6 in Cardiff in a World Cup warm-up match last summer – and is now relishing a first game at the iconic Twickenham Stadium.
“I haven’t actually played there myself but looking on I think most teams defend pretty hard in the first 20 minutes,” Evans told the WRU official website.
“The last time we played them was in the warm-up game and they came out firing. It’s about how you weather that storm and if you come through that alright, then you are through the best part of it.
“The Six Nations is completely different and when there’s something riding on it, it means a lot more. It will be a good occasion.
“It’s been good getting a chance at this level. It’s the most I’ve been involved, especially in the Six Nations.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time and I’ve enjoyed working under these coaches as well. It’s a nice new voice which is new for a lot of us but it’s also enjoyable at the same time.
“I feel like my game has come on and hopefully whether I’m here or back at my region I try and take that into each game. I’m just enjoying the exposure at the moment.”
Wales opened up the 2020 Guinness Six Nations with a 42-0 triumph over Italy but have since slipped to defeat away to Ireland and at home to France.
A trip to Twickenham to face a surging England will be no easy task but Evans is adamant Wayne Pivac’s side aren’t far away from producing their best rugby.
He added: “I feel we are creating a fair bit but it’s probably about just trying to finish off one or two things – if we had taken our opportunities last weekend, then the game goes the other way.
“It’s about how we can get better and how we can finish those chances and the games could have gone a lot differently.
“They’ve (England) gone pretty well. There’s a lot of consistency in their side and I don’t think they change the way they play for each other.
“We know what’s coming from them with their power game especially at home. I think it’s all about how we weather that first 20 minutes because they are going to come at us pretty hard like most sides do at home.”
