Georgia Evans’ annual game of Six Nations bingo is about to begin as she awaits to see which number Sean Lynn pulls out of the bag for her when he names his team to face Scotland at Principality Stadium on Saturday (4.40pm).
The Saracens star is equally at home in the second row – Nos 4 and 5 – as she is in the back row – normally Nos 6 or 8 – when she starts but can also be used as an impact player off the bench.
But wherever Lynn picks her, and with 43 caps to her name and so much top-level experience behind her she has developed into a key player for her country, she is happy to fulfil whatever role is prescribed for her.
“Who knows what number I’ll have on my back, if selected. I’ve made it known I’m happier playing in the back row, but I don’t think I’d have got this far in my career by not taking every opportunity that came my way, so whatever number I get I’ll try my best,” said the 28-year-old Evans.
“I feel incredibly old in the new environment Sean has created. It has been refreshing to have new coaching staff and players coming into camp for this championship and that goes hand in hand with this being a fresh start for us – we are not looking backwards.
“It’s crazy when girls are coming into camp who are still in college or have just finished their A Levels. That was 10 years or more ago for me, but they bring fresh vibes, are so excited and they give you so much energy.
“When I first came in it was a very similar team, so it’s exciting to have so many new faces and fresh ideas. The senior girls are learning as much off the younger players as we are teaching them.”
It was a tough first year for Lynn when he finally took over as Wales head coach after guiding Gloucester – Hartpury to a third Professional Women’s Rugby title in a row. After a winless Six Nations campaign he was finally able to taste success in one of the two Tests in Australia prior to the World Cup.
There were three more defeats at the World Cup, against Scotland, Australia and Fiji, and now it is time for the new look Wales team to get back on the horse in the Guinness Six Nations which runs from 11 April to 17 May.
“We know we haven’t lived up to expectations previously, but for us now it is about looking at the new cycle and the longer term picture, which is the next World Cup,” added Evans.
“We want to climb up the rankings and there is no pressure on us as such because we have a lot of new caps in our squad. It’s a new vibe, it’s exciting because there are so many new faces and new ideas.
“There is no pressure but we have to learn very quickly. We have to improve on our performances from the last couple of years.
“There were snippets of us really thriving under Sean Lynn over the last year but we need the full 80 minute performance. To do that we have to get our detail right and then results will take care of themselves.
“If we get our performances right there is no reason why we can’t get a couple of wins. It was a crazy, condensed first year for Sean.
“Now we are looking forward to the next four year cycle and he can really put his stamp on things and bring in whoever he wants. He can make his team new again and it will be exciting to see what he can do.
“The women’s game is growing and the World Cup showcased so many amazing players. Now we need to use the platform we’ve got to push the game forward.
“We are only a small nation but we have to keep using our voices to get more people engaged.”
That’s why Evans is hoping for a big turnout at Principality Stadium on Saturday. Having seen what the Welsh fans were able to do for the men’s team in their home matches, Evans and her teammates are looking for similar backing.
“Our tagline is ‘Your presence is our power’. The more people that get behind us, and the louder the fans really lifts us – they really can change the course of a game when we are in the trenches.
“When the men do well it helps us out, and vice versa. We are all rooting for and supporting each other.
“To see them go on and defy all the odds and improve their performances every game gives us a lot of confidence. It allowed us to see it can be done with new faces.
“We’ve seen how players who were unknown at the start of the tournament had become household names by the end. That’s inspiring for us and we want to follow their lead and perhaps one up them.”