Last season, Max Evans rose from the fringes of the Glasgow team to a seat in front of the television waiting to see if his name was included in the Lions tour party to South Africa.
Although disappointment ensued once his name was not read out, the sheer fact that he was in contention for a place on the tour was testament to his performances in the black of Glasgow and his capability to perform in his first handful of caps in the blue of Scotland.
Speaking exclusively to the official weekly Glasgow Warriors ezine "WarCry" (available free by signing up here), Evans said: “It was pretty massive. I just can’t believe I managed to cram it all into one season.”
Since his knee ligament injury sustained during the Warriors’ penultimate game of the 2008/09 season, the elder of the Evans duo has been spending time with his parents in Portugal where he was tasked with organising his father’s rugby video library.
“Because I couldn’t do much during the holidays, my dad who is useless with technology, wanted me to put all the games he had stored on his computer onto DVD.
“I was watching a lot of the games back and it was just crazy looking back at all the stuff I’d experience over the season. It was just so unbelievable.
“Even looking back to the Munster game at Thomond Park, followed by my first cap against Canada in the Autumn Tests, it all just seems so long ago.”

Since becoming one of the most exciting players in Europe, Max soon won his first international cap in the Autumn Test against Canada at Pittodrie in Aberdeen.
His Murrayfield debut saw him touch down against reigning Grand Slam champions Wales which led him to become a hot pick for the Lions tour.
“Getting a Lions letter was unbelievable. Who would’ve known that two years ago before coming up to Scotland that I’d be sitting waiting for the squad announcement with the chance of being selected.
“Even being disappointed when not selected just showed what a great season it was for me personally. Keith Earls is a great player but I still felt I was up there on par with him.”
Although his chance of a place on the tour diminished once he sustained the knee injury, his passion for rugby glued him to the TV screen for all but the final Test.
“I watched pretty much all of the provincial games and the first two Tests. I didn’t actually watch the third Test although I was told it was a great game. I was pretty disappointed after the second Test.
“I thought the Lions should’ve won that second Test but they made it very hard in the end. [Ronan] O’Gara was obviously knocked out so I don’t think you could blame him for the stuff he did.”
Those that witnessed that second Test in Pretoria saw an encounter that made even the toughest players stand up and recognise the increased physicality of the international game.
“What I couldn’t believe was how some of the players in the Lions team that I’ve come up against and watched videos of were knocked off the ball in the ruck area. It did look like even a step up in terms of what has gone before.”

Max was voted Magners League player of the 2008/09 season by the media.
Now back in Glasgow with the new Warriors squad, Evans has his sights set on success for The Biggest Team in Glasgow as well as making the Scotland number 13 jersey his own in the build up to the World Cup.
“I had a good Six Nations last year in terms of getting my place there but it’s still not cemented. I’ve got [Edinburgh’s] Ben Cairns breathing down my neck as we’re both competing for that position and it’ll be the same right up until the World Cup which is great, that’s what you want.
“You don’t want to feel like you can be slacking off during your club games. You’ve got to perform during those club games and that’s what I want to be doing anyway, but there’s another incentive there to be playing your best rugby with your club.
“If you’re not playing well for your club then you’re not going to be in a Scotland jersey so it’s a real drive.”
Now with the Scotland star looking forward to his recovery in the coming months, he has outlined his ambitions for the future and how he intends to reach his goal.
“Firstly, my next aim is to be really cementing my position at 13 right up until the World Cup so I can be involved there and then we can see how things go in terms of making the next Lions tour.
“I love playing for Glasgow and I love winning with Glasgow. Looking at some of the wins we had last season, it shows there is nothing to stop us putting on performances like that every game.
“If we can win with Glasgow then that’ll increase my chances of cementing that Scotland place; so first and foremost I’m eager to win with Glasgow.”
The Warriors squad will assemble in its entirety a week on Monday when they travel to Issoire in France for pre-season training camp plus games against Stade Rochelaise and Clermont Auvergne.
Looking back to his trip to France last season, Evans reflects on his feelings as he sought to become a regular in the Glasgow starting XV.
“I really enjoyed the tour. Because I’m injured this time around I won’t be partaking in some of the training in France but I’m in a totally different frame of mind from when I went there last.
“Last year I was nervous about playing at outside centre at this level for the first time and Sean was looking at me being an outside centre so I knew I had to do really well in France to show him that I could play there.
“That was really my one thought about being in France as well as getting on with the rest of the players.”
That team spirit was also a major factor in securing the services of both Max and his younger brother Thom who are confident of a successful future in Glasgow.
“I think Glasgow is one of the highest team spirited teams that there must be out there. It’s amazing how well the players get on and that was one of the main reasons I wanted to be staying here. There was no question about going anywhere else.
“This season I know I’m capable of playing well at 13 so it’s just a question of coming back and maintaining that form and even coming back better than before.
“I’m itching to get back from this injury. I can’t wait to be fully fit and fully confident of what I can potentially achieve and get really stuck in.”

This article was posted on 22-Jul-2009, 08:11 by Hugh Barrow.