 | WALES v AUSTRALIA |
Wales coach Mike Ruddock insists that Ian Evans is ready to be exposed to international rugby. The 21-year-old Ospreys lock was last week a shock call-up to Wales' injury ravaged autumn international squad.
Luke Charteris' 11th-hour injury before the South Africa game saw Evans thrust onto the bench, and he has retained the spot for Saturday's Australia Test.
"We must trust our instincts and not be afraid to expose these guys," Ruddock told the South Wales Evening Post.
|  You can't afford to wait until they are 30 to cap these players |
"Is he ready? People have asked me the same thing about Luke Charteris and Ryan Jones, and they haven't done badly. "He is 6ft 7in, he has come through the ranks, he has a lot of experience and caps at age-group levels.
"He has played in Under-21 World Cups, he has done all the mileage you would expect of a top-class young player.
"You can't afford to wait until they are 30 to cap these players."
Johannesburg-born Evans, who played for Abercwmboi, was a member of last season's Grand Slam-winning Wales Under-21 team, but he has just a handful of regional games to his name.
MMIX
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