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Kiwi Nick Evans is poised for entry into a very exclusive England club

Kiwi Nick Evans, Harlequins' skills and off-the-ball coach, is set to become a Premiership Hall of Famer (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images for Harlequins)

Three legends of the game will be inducted into the Premiership Rugby Hall of Fame at a star-studded event at Twickenham on May 31.

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Nick Evans, Matt Dawson and Jason Leonard will join the exclusive club following a ceremony the night before the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final.

Dawson and Leonard join several of their fellow 2003 World Cup winners in the Hall of Fame, with Kyran Bracken, Ben Kay and Jason Robinson inducted last year – and Jonny Wilkinson, Josh Lewsey, Lawrence Dallaglio, Simon Shaw, Richard Hill, Neil Back and Phil Vickery all also welcomed in recent times.

And New Zealander Evans, a one-club man with Harlequins where he made more than 200 Premiership Rugby appearances and helped the club lift their first League title in 2012, joins them on the illustrious list.

Dawson was one of the last generation of players to begin their rugby career during the amateur era before transitioning into professional rugby with aplomb. He would finish his career with a whole host of domestic and international honours.

Evans was a one-club legend, record points-scorer, fly-half turned coach and arguably one of the best Premiership Rugby imports of all time. However it could have been so different as for some time it looked like Aussie rules football might benefit from the Auckland-born talent.

Meanwhile, with a record-setting 114 England caps to his name and 290 appearances for Harlequins, Leonard truly is English rugby royalty.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BweZFIZAPFu/

You name it and it’s likely that Leonard has done it in a career that started at Barking and ended at Harlequins, with stints with Saracens, England and the British and Irish Lions in between.

He now continues to break new ground as earlier this year he was appointed chairman of the British and Irish Lions board, having previously also been president of the RFU since hanging up his boots. Not bad for a carpenter from Barking.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
2018-19: Matt Dawson, Nick Evans, Jason Leonard;
2017: Steve Borthwick, Kyran Bracken, Nick Easter, Ben Kay, Jason Robinson;
2016: Neil Back, Mark Cueto, Richard Hill, Mike Tindall, Hugh Vyvyan;
2015: Lawrence Dallaglio, Josh Lewsey, Simon Shaw, James Simpson-Daniel, Phil Vickery, Peter Wheeler, Jonny Wilkinson;
2014: Rob Baxter, George Chuter, Martin Johnson, Lewis Moody, Ed Morrison, Tom Walkinshaw;
2013: Mike Catt, Martin Corry, Warren Gatland, Austin Healey, Charlie Hodgson, Kenny Logan, Jim Mallinder, Conor O’Shea, Dean Richards, Andy Robinson, John Wells.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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