SUPER 14 - Accolades flow for lethal Nick

PERHAPS David Holwell should have answered plaintive calls from the Blues coaching staff late last year, and put his name in the mix for another stint of Super 14.
Then he could have secured a seat on the sideline to watch Nick Evans play. And been paid for it.
Evans might have earned the wrath of the Blues faithful when he pursued a dream in Otago. But after he masterminded the Blues second successive bonus point win in a Super 14 game against the Lions in Johannesburg yesterday, all sins are forgiven, two games into his return season.
The Blues hammered the Lions 55-10, with Evans pocketing 25 points through a try and a flawless goalkicking performance. He nailed seven conversions and two penalty goals and cemented his spot as the main man this year.
He must surely be alerting All Blacks rugby power brokers. His mix of daring running and cool-headed tactics is proving the perfect fulcrum for the Blues.
A day after the Crusaders hammered the Bulls 54-19 at Pretoria, the Blues established themselves as the other leading franchise in the competition. The Blues and the Crusaders are becoming near unbackable favourites to meet in the final. It is already a game of catch-up for the rest of the teams.
Evans won many accolades, coach David Nucifora saying his eye for the gap and pace off the mark were as lethal as his goal kicking and had given his team a huge advantage.
"I think [the Lions] were intent on stopping us from getting on the outside of them because they know we have a bit of pace out wide. But as soon as they do that a guy like Nick, who threatens the line and cuts them apart through those inside channels, becomes very dangerous," Nucifora said.
"He is probably going to give our outside backs a bit more space as the weeks go on because teams are going to have to hold on him a lot more," he said.
The Blues didn't take long to find the try line, Kurtis Haiu heaving his way over just five minutes after kick-off. By halftime the bonus point was in the bank with Jerome Kaino, Isa Nacewa and Evans all dotting down.
The score by Evans had come from a scrum on halfway and a slick backline move that put Isaia Toeava into a gaping hole. It was done with such precision that not one Lions defender could lay a hand on a Blues player in the entire movement.
The Blues play the lowly rated Cheetahs at Bloemfontein this weekend knowing they can rest several of their strike players for a clash with the Sharks in Durban the following week.
"It was quite a taxing game, it looks like we have come through without any injuries, I suppose we will just wait and see have a good look at the Cheetahs before we make any decisions on what squad we will select," Nucifora said.
"We were concerned with how we could back up after last week. One of the things we worked hard at last year was consistency. It was something we wanted to build on this year. It was a pretty pleasing performance that keeps us at the top next to the Crusaders.
"It is a good start to the trip. To come to Ellis Park and win by a big margin, to come over here and play like they did was an outstanding effort."
After scorching out to a 24-3 lead in 20 minutes the Blues at halftime were ahead 31-3. Their line was hardly threatened in the first half, fullback Nacewa kept slicing past rag doll tackles to set up repeated counter attacks.
It did not take long for the Blues to snap back into gear after the restart as Nick Williams bulldozed his way over the tryline.
As the pace of the game wavered, the Blues started to ease off. But the Lions had no reply even then. They were not in the same league when it came to constructing attack or holding a defensive line.
The shellshocked Lions could manage only an early penalty to first five-eighth Louis Strydom and a consolation try to replacement winger Jaco van Schalkwyk in the final minute, but otherwise they were never in the contest.