In the shadow of Dan

IT’S NOT just the GAA that has a problem with losing players to Aussie Rules. Seems almost sacrilegious to say so, but in the land of the long white cloud, where rugby is king and Australia the eternal enemy, the ‘other’ oval ball game has also made an impact, to such an extent that Nick Evans, starting out-half for the All-Blacks against Portugal in Lyon today, came within a bounce of a ball (metaphorically speaking) of crossing the divide.

“There was a point in my life when it came down to Aussie Rules or rugby.

“I did the old positive/negative chart. My heart was probably a bit more in the rugby, but I did give it a really strong think. There was a lot of competition for places in the rugby, a lot of good first fives around, I wondered if it would be better to go to Aussie Rules. Then I made the Super 12, then Tony Browne left and that kind of opened things up for me.”