Jarrod Evans remains eligible for Wales selection despite the talented outside midfielder playing for England and making fewer than 25 international appearances, WalesOnline has learned.
The 27-year-old left Cardiff for Gallagher Premier League side Harlequins in the summer and may have fallen victim to the contract freeze that affected Welsh rugby for much of last season. Evans, who won eight caps for Wales, was expected to be ineligible for international rugby after moving to London because he does not meet the Professional Rugby Board’s controversial 25 caps rule.
But WalesOnline understands that there is a clause in the law that a player who plies his trade outside of Wales may be eligible for an international competition if he has not received an offer from a Welsh region or if he has been ‘low’ and have not received an offer. credible offer. Evans appears to fall into this category, as Cardiff were unable to offer him a viable contract due to the financial constraints they were facing at the time. Get the latest Welsh rugby news straight to your inbox for free with our daily newsletter
There are clearly gray areas in the 25 caps law, with Welsh center Joe Hawkins disqualifying himself from international selection after leaving the Ospreys for Exeter Chiefs. Just because Evans is eligible doesn’t mean Warren Gatland will pick the talented playmaker behind English star Marcus Smith at Harlequins, but he performed well when selected.
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Gatland himself identified the number 10 shirt as one of the areas where Wales need to find some depth following the retirements of Dan Biggar and Gareth Anscombe from Test rugby for Japan. Wales management were very impressed with Sam Costelow during the Rugby World Cup, while Ioan Lloyd was exceptional for the Scarlets after signing from Bristol Bears.
Callum Sheedy is another who has returned to form for Bristol, while experienced Ospreys playmaker Owen Williams is another potential option for Wales.
Source: Wales Online
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
