Evans opens hospital unit but unlikely to attend game

THOM Evans will return to the city that ended his rugby career tomorrow when he repays the work of medics who treated him by opening a new spinal unit.

His brother, Max, will be focusing instead on helping Scotland to a first victory over Wales in five years and first in Cardiff since 2002, trying to forget the memories of two years ago when his brother suffered a spinal injury, and he does not expect Thom to stay for Sunday’s game.

“He will be in Wales on Friday opening a spinal unit,” he revealed, “but it’s highly unlikely he will be at the game.

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“I know how hard the game against Wales last year was for him and that was at Murrayfield. It was emotional for him watching it one year on so to be back in that particular stadium I think would be too much for him.

“I won’t know how I will feel emotionally until I’m there, but I know it will be emotional for me.

“I have had to focus on the rugby and not that aspect of it. I’m sure I’ll be able to deal with it well. I’ll have the game to focus on as was the case when Thom suffered his injury because I was on the field. I didn’t know the severity of it until after.

“From what I can remember it was a great experience to be part of that game two years ago … right up until Shane Williams scored that last-ditch try and then it was a feeling of utter devastation.

“After that all I remember is feeling really scared because I didn’t know what would happen with Thom. It was real mixture of emotions for me.”

Evans added: “Now I’m just so proud of how he has recovered and what he has been able to achieve. When you consider what that kind of injury could have done to him and where he is now then I have huge respect for him. It also puts things into some kind of perspective for us.

“But after the weekend and England no-one is looking to the past. We are all looking ahead to what we must do against Wales.”