Hot days and hard grounds have Quins' hero smiling

And while plenty of rugby sides across Europe will be hoping the warm weather is here to stay, Quins arguably have more to gain than most when it comes to the prospect of playing on a dry track.

Conor O'Shea's side boast one of the most talked about back divisions in the Aviva Premiership featuring a host of young talent, all expertly marshalled by the mercurial Evans.

The 50-point mauling of high-flying Gloucester a fortnight ago provided the perfect example of what Quins are capable of when conditions favour a wide, expansive game and Evans admits they would love more of the same on Friday night.

"This is what I came to England for - a day like this every now and then!" said Evans, who missed seven straight matches with a broken hand before facing Leicester last weekend.

"It's meant to be a nice day and both sides have got exciting players that like to play a bit of rugby so hopefully we'll be able to put on a bit of a show.

"It's how we want to play. We've all bought into that and we know that, when we click, it'll look like it did against Gloucester. Although we were disappointed to lose to Leicester, we knew we probably played better rugby than them but just didn't convert the opportunities that we had. Hopefully over the next couple of years, if we don't quite click at times we'll still be good enough to win games.

"We like the style we play - it's best suited to our players. Sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn't. But as this group grows together, hopefully we can take out those little inconsistencies that we have and win those games rather than lose them.

"Our catchphrase is that we live and die by the sword in the way we play. We will make more mistakes than other teams in the competition because we play more. It's something that we accept but in training we try and minimise the number of mistakes we make. It's not as if we make mistakes willy nilly and think 'it's alright, it's part of the game'. We take it very seriously."

Despite the relatively tender years of the Quins backline, Evans insists there is a maturity level within the group far beyond their collective age.

The likes of 21-year-old George Lowe, 20-year-old Sam Smith and 23-year-old Jordan Turner Hall have all excelled this season, while seemingly veteran campaigners like Danny Care and Mike Brown are still only 24 and 25 respectively.

Evans claims everyone at Quins is given the same platform to play a part in proceedings both in training and on match day and the more the youngsters contribute in that respect, the more success the squad will enjoy.

"With professional rugby the way it is these days, everyone needs to be a leader," added Evans.

"That doesn't mean you have to be ranting and raving and screaming. We've got the likes of Nick Easter to do that and then you've got guys like myself to run the ship and make sure we call the right calls.

"Being a leader is about taking responsibility for your own actions and making sure you speak your mind if you feel the need to. It's an open forum in our group and we encourage everyone to say what they think, whether you're 20 years old or 30 years old."

While Friday night's encounter may be the fourth of the season with Wasps, knockout rugby in the Amlin Challenge Cup is a new experience for Evans.

The former All Black playmaker was a central figure in Quins' charge to the Heineken Cup quarter finals in his first season in the UK two years ago, while a top-six finish in the Premiership ensured similar involvement in top-level European competition the following season.

The Heineken Cup's growing worldwide audience ensured Evans was fully aware of the tournament prior to his move from New Zealand but the affable Kiwi admits the same couldn't be said of the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Now, however, Evans says those gaps in his knowledge have been filled after being hugely impressed with the quality and intensity on show in the pool stages. And with some of the continent's traditional powerhouses featuring in the knockout rounds, the level of rugby on display is set to get even better this weekend.

"When I came over we were in the Heineken Cup so the Challenge Cup was something I didn't really think about. But being a part of it, we've had some epic battles so far this year.

"It's amazing when you look at the sides that are left in it. It just shows the quality of the competition and what it's formulated into over the last couple of years.

"The teams that are left in it are all teams who should be and have been in the Heineken Cup. It's a stepping stone for us and we're taking it very seriously.

"We made a decision at the start of the season to have a go at every competition and the Amlin Challenge Cup was pretty high on our list of expectations in making it through to the knockout stages.

"We've taken near on full-strength teams to where ever we've been; we only lost once to Bayonne in the pouring rain over there; and hopefully we get through to a semi-final in France or Munster.

"For both teams, it's a make or break game for their seasons. There's no doubt about that."