Rising Wales international goes 'under the radar' after nearly walking away from rugby
Rising Wales international goes 'under the radar' after nearly walking away from rugby
Evan Minto has been praised by his Wales U20s coach after an impressive Six nations campaign
Evan Minto in action for Wales U20s against the Regional Academies XV
(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd )
Versatile Wales U20s back-row Evan Minto has been tipped for a bright future - regardless of where he ends up at the back of the scrum.
The Dragons forward has come a long way from nearly walking away from the game, after failing to make the Wales U18s squad. This season has seen the 19-year-old make his senior debut for the Men of Gwent, while he also impressed for Wales in the recent U20s Six Nations.
'Evan was brilliant and maybe went under the radar a bit,' Wales head coach Richard Whiffin told the South Wales Argus. 'He had a high output on both sides of the ball and I was really impressed with his running lines.
'He played for Hartpury and stepped up to the challenges in BUCS and the English Championship, then got that opportunity with the Dragons to give him confidence going into Six Nations camp.
'He knows when to turn it on and off, he is a fun character in the group but come game time he is very smart and a good tactical leader.
'He has a 'follow me' type of attitude and is very good technically, playing a lot bigger than his weight, which will naturally develop as he gets older.'
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Having also featured for Pontypool in Super Rygbi Cymru and Hartpury on loan, it's been a busy season for Minto - who can play right across the back-row. 25% OFF DEAL NOW: Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby
Crucially, Whiffin - who played him at No. 8 in the Six Nations - doesn't think he needs to pick one specific back-row position just yet.
'He's a good lineout forward, can jackal and carry well, so there is no need to pigeonhole him,' added Whiffin.
'It's great for a back row forward's career to be comfortable in all three positions; Evan is highly selectable and can be a help for coaches with those attributes.'
Minto, who will be joined at Rodney Parade by Wales U20s captain and back-row partner Harry Beddall next season, will be hoping to enjoy more opportunities for the Dragons.
It's all a far cry from nearly walking away from the game - something Minto spoke about to WalesOnline earlier this year.
"I managed to play for the first team up there during my first year and then that season I played for the Dragons U18s before winning my first cap for Wales U18s against England at St Helens," he said back in February.
"I did my second year in college but didn't get into Wales U18s that year. That was a poor season for me and by the end of it I almost quit rugby all together.
"I was really frustrated and I felt like I wasn't enjoying playing rugby any more. I'd had a poor pre-season that season where I ended up losing 10 kilos.
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"I was battling against my weight for the whole season and felt like I couldn't be physical because I had nothing behind me. At the end of it I sat down with my mum and said 'I'm not sure I want to play rugby anymore'.
"When I spoke to the Dragons about it they said they'd give me some time off to see how I feel after it. As soon as I stepped away I noticed how much I would miss rugby. So, I had three months off and then as soon as I came back I couldn't wait to be back training because I missed it so much."
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