Rugby convert Max Evans marked his Cardiff U18 debut with two tries as he helped his side get off to a flying start in the WRU Academies U18 Championship with a 45-35 win over the Dragons at the Arms Park.
The former Llanidloes High School product has moved to the Welsh capital to pursue his dream of becoming a professional rugby player and will be heading to Whitchurch HS next month to play in the WSC U18 Rugby championship.
One of the quickest teenagers in Britain last year, Evans ranked third on the list of fastest athletes across the country over 200 metres in the Under 17 age group with a time of 21.43 sec and was seventh fastest over 100 metres with 10.68 sec.
He also ranked fourth in the senior rankings in Wales over 200 metres and was 10th in the 100 metres.
His brace of tries was among seven scored by Cardiff, last season’s runners-up, as they kicked-off in style against their east Wales rivals. Not that they got it all their own way.
Having built up a handy lead, Josh Turnbull’s side saw the Dragons race back into the contest and there were only five points between the two teams with five minutes left to play.
Alex Ballinger, Isaac Manning-Burke, Cooper White, Iesytn Stephens and Evan Ngassau-Nicholls joined Evans among the try scorers for Cardiff, while Manning-Burke added five conversions. Loose head prop Rudi Creel crossed for two of the Dragons five tries, with the others coming from Elliot Young, who also kicked five conversions, Theo McKerrow and Jake Jenkins.