Rugby Union: Evans' show of pace

Llanelli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Swansea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

WHAT do Linford Christie, who has just retained his Commonwealth 100 metres title, and Ieuan Evans have in common? They both seem to get better and faster with age.

Three tries from the Wales captain, Evans, showed why he is regarded as one of the game's great finishers despite having advanced into his thirties this year.

He almost left the club where he has played for 10 years, because of the travelling from his new job in Cardiff. Evans, though, put loyalty ahead of logic and remained true to the club that has helped to make him great.

'People in Llanelli talk about the great Albert Jenkins, Carwyn James and Phil Bennett, but Ieuan Evans is up there among the all-time heroes of this town and club,' the Llanelli coach, Allan Lewis, said, adding that Evans had played on after half- time with a hamstring strain on Saturday and scored two more tries.

'We heard the rumours of him possibly moving to Cardiff, but he never hinted as much to us. He's part of the furniture at Stradey Park and he's playing better than ever.'

Part one of a hat-trick that extended his record aggregate of tries in the Heineken League to 45 at the start of the fifth season came after only four minutes. Given space on the 22 to round his man he breezed past a bemused Sean Marshall to score.

His devastating pace as the extra man cut the Swansea defence to pieces from 30 metres out for his second, and he proved too quick for them again for his third.

Llanelli: Tries I Evans 3, Proctor, Varney; Conversions Stephens 2; Penalties Stephens 2. Swansea: Tries Marshall, Davies; Conversions Williams 2; Penalties Williams 3.

Llanelli: I Jones; I Evans, N Davies, N Boobyer, W Proctor; C Stephens,

R Moon (capt); R Evans, A Lamerton, H Williams-Jones, P Davies, L Williams,

I Hembrow, S Quinnell, A Varney.

Swansea: A Clement (capt); S Davies, D Weatherley, S McIntosh, S Marshall; A Williams, Robbie Jones; I Buckett, R McBryde, K Colclough, P Arnold (Robin Jones 47), M Evans, A Reynolds (G Jenkins 55), S Moore, R Appleyard.

Referee: W D Bevan (Clydach).