mike evans

Ian Evans hopes for Japan chanceSep 16 2007




by Simon Roberts, Wales On Sunday


IAN EVANS is poised to make his World Cup bow for Wales against Japan at the Millennium Stadium, this week.

The Wales and Ospreys lock will play some part in the Pool B clash against the Cherry Blossoms on Thursday.

The 22-year-old has been out with a shoulder injury and his last game of rugby was for the Ospreys last December.

The five-times capped second � row was expected to feature in Wales' World Cup warm-up games, but a niggling chest injury ruled him out of contention.

But the 6ft 8in and 17st forward is so highly-rated, he was picked in Wales' 30-man squad without having played for nearly nine months.




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Nigel Davies, the Wales attack coach, confirmed Evans would take a full part in training and is expected to feature against Japan.


"Ian is progressing well," said Davies. "It's a possibility that he will play in that game. He needs to play and get as much game-time as possible. Ideally, we could look at him coming off the bench for the Japan game.


"We are still not sure whether he will be 100 per cent fit or not, but we are sure he is going to play some part in this World Cup. We anticipate he will be in full contact training this week and we will have to see where he goes from there.


"Ian offers so much to a team. We have stood by him and I am sure he will repay us during the tournament."


Wales are expected to rotate their squad for their third game of the pool against the minnows, with the likes of Mike Phillips, Dafydd James, Michael Owen and Jamie Robinson all expected to play.


Davies admitted he expected changes to be made for Wales' third game in 12 days in the tournament.


"We have to reflect on the Australia performance," said Davies. "It will be very difficult for players, who have already played two games, to play a third game.


"Potentially, we have an opportunity for players who haven't played so far and haven't had a chance.


"There won't be wholesale changes and we won't take Japan lightly. They were hammered in the first game but 10 of their first-choice players didn't play in that game.


"It's a key game for us and a game we have to win."


Wales have not lost to Japan in six capped Test matches.

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For other persons named Michael Evans, see Michael Evans (disambiguation).
Michael Jonas Evans (November 3, 1949 � December 14, 2006) (usually credited as Mike Evans), was an American actor and co-creator of the show Good Times with Eric Monte (Ralph Carter's character Michael Evans was named after him).

Evans was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist, and his mother, Annie Sue Evans, was a school teacher. He attended Palmer Memorial Institute, a private school for young African Americans in Sedalia, N.C. before his family later moved to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Los Angeles High School. He later studied acting at Los Angeles City College.

Evans is most famous for creating the recurring role of Lionel Jefferson on All in the Family and was the first (and eventually final) actor to play Lionel on the spin-off The Jeffersons. He played Lionel on The Jeffersons for much of its 11-year run, with the majority of his appearances occurring from 1979-1983. Opera singer/actor Damon Evans (no relation to Michael0 played the role for a few years of The Jeffersons, as Michael was occupied in the production of Good Times. He returned after Good Times was cancelled in 1979.

His last TV role was in 2000, on an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. Evans was also a real estate investor and owned properties in California's Inland Empire.

As the original Lionel, his absence was noticed at a Sherman Hemsley TV Land special, which aired in July 2006. Most of the other surviving Jeffersons cast members were present, as well as Sally Struthers and the cast of Amen.

Evans died of throat cancer at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, California at the age of 57. The announcement of his death was not released until a week later.