Rugby: Evans knows the big 'Oh' feeling

Gareth Evans with the Ranfurly Shield. PHOTO/FILE

Hawke's Bay rugby No 8 Gareth Evans knows how much the Otago boys were hurting when the Ranfurly Shield left Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin last year with the Magpies Napier-bound.
Evans, 23, was in the Razorbacks dressing room after playing for the hosts in the 20-19 loss to the Magpies. The Bay's first defence of the season at Napier's McLean Park tomorrow will be Evans first game against the union he represented in 32 first class games during three seasons in Dunedin before returning home to Havelock North this year.
"I know how bad they felt. They will be coming here with guns blazing," Evans said.
The Highlanders Super Rugby rep emphasised there will be no complacency in the Magpies camp in the wake of the Razorbacks 40-23 loss to Northland in Dunedin on Wednesday night.
"Our boys will be a bit more fresher but they rested a few of their players against Northland. It will come down to what team turns up wanting the win the most on the day," Evans said.
"The ITM Cup is such a short competition. Teams move on quickly to their next assignment ... just like we did after our loss to Northland."
A Napier Boys' High School product, Evans, missed the Northland game with an ankle injury collected in the previous week's shield win against Counties-Manukau. He timed his return to perfection earlier this week and is no longer nagged by the injury.
"I can't wait to take on some old friends."
Surprisingly Evans had yet to receive any texts or challenges to bets from his former teammates when interviewed on Thursday night. However he expected them to flow closer to the game particularly from Hastings Boys' High School product, hooker Sam Anderson-Heather, who Evans flatted with when playing for the Highlanders earlier this year.
"I'm looking forward to the occasion. The Hawke's Bay community is excited after the All Blacks game ... now we've got a shield game and we can build on that excitement," he added.
Magpies assistant coach and former Magpies and All Black halfback Danny Lee was this week chuckling at the irony involved with the shield's travels. He played for the Magpies from 1994-'96 and again from 2006-'08, Counties-Manukau from 1999-2001 and Otago from 2002-05.
"Last year we took the shield off Otago and Counties took the shield off us. This year we've taken it off Counties and now we've got Otago."
Lee has plenty of respect for the coaching skills of Razorbacks head coach Tony Brown, a former Otago teammate of Lee's.
"We're good mates but come Sunday I'm hoping I'm the one with the smile on my face and he's the one with the sour grimace after the final whistle," Lee quipped.
Hawke's Bay and Otago and have met in five Ranfurly Shield fixtures in the 110-year history of the shield and the Magpies have won three and the Razorbacks two.
Evans and Lee won't be too upset if the count is 4-2 in favour of the Magpies around 6pm on tomorrow.