That should be a constant cause for celebration, yet for the 26-year-old the memory of one of his greatest days on a rugby field has become a bit of an irritation.
Having scored the try in the Junior World Championship semi-final, against a South African side that contained two of the stars of their senior World Cup win in 2019, Cheslin Kolbe and Handre Polland, that enabled Sam Davies to kick the touchline conversion to send the 2013 Wales U20 side into the final.
He then added two more against arch-rivals England in the final showdown. Wales led at half-time 15-3 at the break, but eventually fell to a 23-15 defeat as England won the title for the first time. For many who played in that game it was the first step to real stardom.
“Whenever anyone in the media looks back on the Welsh team of 2013 i just think, ‘here we go again’. I’m the only one of the back division who never really made it,” admitted Evans.
“Rhodri Williams, Sam Davies and Hallam Amos have all gone on the play for Wales and Jordan Williams, Steff Hughes and Jack Dixon have all had good regional careers. England had two future British & Irish Lions in their back line, Jack Nowell and Anthony Watson, and Henry Slade.
Whenever anyone in the media looks back on the Welsh team of 2013 i just think, ‘here we go again’. I’m the only one of the back division who never really made it
“It was my first World Championships and I didn’t expect it to be that good – it was a crazy experience, a bit surreal. It was disappointing not to win that final match, but we were the first Wales team to reach a final.
“That first half was incredibly special for me — then it was such an anti-climax to lose the game. We had played England in the Six Nations so we knew they were a beatable team, and we’d just beaten South Africa in the semi-finals, who had beaten England in the group stages.
“We proved they were beatable in that first-half, but in the second they just came out a lot stronger than us. To be fair they were the better team.”
No fewer than 14 of the two matchday squads from that game at Stade de la Rabine, in Vannes, have gone on to become senior internationals. Evans’ latest move has been to join Llandovery in the Indigo Group Premiership.
“Everything seemed set-up in my rugby career, but I didn’t have a great time at the next U20 World Cup and had my contract at the Ospreys split 50-50 with the Wales Sevens. I played in the World Series for a while, but then got let go by the Ospreys,” said Evans.
“I then got picked up by Llanelli and played in the Premiership, but I just felt unfulfilled. My last game was for Bridgend in March, 2019, and I decided to put all my effort into my job rather than my rugby.
“I learned that rugby isn’t the be-all and end-all in life. I’ve spent the past 18 months concentrating on my work as a welfare care worker and that has been very rewarding.
“I’m settled within my job now and since doing a bit of training during lockdown I’ve got a buzz back again for rugby. My colleagues have been very good about helping me to find space in my schedule to get back to playing again and I’m really looking forward to playing at Llandovery.
“There will be no thoughts about trying to get back to where I once was, or resurrecting my former rugby dreams – I just want to do my best for the Drovers and enjoy the whole experience.”
With a brother who is an international referee, Craig Evans, he should be able to get some tips from the top on how the game has chance since he last played and he is looking forward to linking up again with former Wales Sevens team mate Will Thomas, who has returned to Llandovery from Doncaster.
Adding further fuel to the fire in the battle for a back three place in the side will be the addition of another former Wales Sevens wing, George Thomas, who has joined from Cardiff University.
