The 2015 ITM Cup and 2016 Mitre 10 Cup seasons were largely a write-off for Evans. He broke his arm in the first Magpies game of the 2015 season - a successful Ranfurly Shield defence against - and suffered a season-ending knee injury during the 2016 Super Rugby season. These injuries restricted him to just a solitary appearance over the course of 2 years, which saw the Magpies promoted as ITM Cup Championship champions in 2015 before being relegated back to the Championship for the 2017 season after just a sole season in the top division.