Evans gets by with a little help from his friends

The 22-year-old came off the bench at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday to replace the injured Gethin Jenkins in victory over Ireland.

Wales came under a barrage of pressure from the Emerald Isle but stood firm and Evans, who has made 13 GUINNESS PRO12 appearances for Scarlets this season, admitted a pep talk was required to ensure he did not buckle under the strain.

"It was a tough half," he told the South Wales Evening Post. "That amount of phases is not something you get in regional rugby and my lungs were going a little bit.

"Jon Davies and Sanj (Liam Williams), my old Scarlets mate and my current Scarlets mate, just said 'suck it in boy' and I just kept going.

"It was awesome how all the boys were just picking each other up."

Evans is in the driving seat to wear the Wales No.1 shirt from the start when Wales travel to Italy this weekend, before GUINNESS PRO12 action resumes when Edinburgh Rugby visit Parc y Scarlets.

And Evans is determined to make the most of his opportunity.

"This means everything to me," he added.

"In some ways I am glad it wasn't handed on a plate to me, I have had to work for it. I just need to keep on working hard now."

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