HIS World Cup hopes were in the balance for nine months but lock Ian Evans can finally tick one of his ambitions off the list after facing Japan last night, writes Chris Kirwan.

The 22-year-old had not stepped on to a rugby field since dislocating his shoulder when scoring for the Ospreys at the Arms Park on December 28.

After hours in the gym and numerous setbacks the 6ft 7ins completed his recovery when he strode on for Alun Wyn Jones with 52 minutes on the clock.

He nearly bagged a try on his return only to drop the ball when attempting to replicate the interception try he scored on international debut in Argentina in 2006, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the Ospreys forward.

"It's been a long nine months but I finally strolled on to the pitch and I enjoyed it," he said. "It was a nice game to get back into things, it was a nice game to be involved in and now it's out of the way.

"It was a massive goal in my career to be involved and play in a World Cup and it was touch and go whether I would be involved after picking up a collarbone injury before the warm-up with Argentina. But I've got through it and hopefully it's all downhill now.

The absence of Evans has been a real blow to coach Gareth Jenkins, who had been set to make him the heart of the Wales line-out and pack.

That he was included in the 30-man World Cup party despite fears over his fitness speaks volumes for Evans' talent, but he is not expecting to be seeing too much action in the rest of the tournament.

He said: "I'm looking to be involved in the games we have left but if for whatever reason I am not picked then I understand, but you don't know what's going to happen in the next two weeks.

"But the main goal was to actually play in a World Cup and I think it's a remarkable challenge that I've overcome to do that."

Another man who tasted his first action of the tournament was centre Jamie Robinson, and it was especially sweet for the Blues man after he narrowly missed the cut for 2003.

"It was great though I did have a few nerves before the game, simply because it is the World Cup," he said. "If it was just an international that may not have been the case but there was the pressure of having to win and we knew that Japan would be dangerous.

"But it's job done and now it's onto Fiji, who are very similar to Japan in many ways - they are unpredictable, are amazing athletes and if we are as sloppy as we were in certain passages today they will punish us."