George North will forever have a place in The British & Irish Lions history.
Any discussion of the 2013 Tour to Australia is not complete without a mention of North’s try in the first Test or his iconic tackle on Israel Folau a week later.
Following the wing’s announcement that he will be retiring from Test rugby, let’s take a look back at the moments that made him.
Record-breaking start
What better way to announce your arrival on the international stage than a double against the reigning world champions.
When selected to play against South Africa in 2010, North became the joint-third youngest player to play for Wales while his pair of tries made him the youngest debutant scorer in his country’s history.
North had produced some blistering form for Scarlets earlier that season and carried that with him to a cacophonous atmosphere in Cardiff.
South Africa narrowly came out on top but North had announced himself as a star-in-the-making, outshining opposite man and former World Rugby Player of the Year Bryan Habana.
A star for club and country
North established himself as a starter during the 2011 Rugby World Cup and was an ever-present as Wales won back-to-back Six Nations crowns for the first time in 34 years.
He scored a late try as Wales beat Ireland 23–21 for a crucial win en route to a Grand Slam in 2012 and then played every minute of the 2013 Six Nations.
There, he was again integral to Wales’ success, scoring the only try of the game in a nerve-shredding 16-6 victory in France.
He moved to Northampton Saints ahead of the 2013/14 season and finished his first season in England as a Premiership champion, playing every minute as Saints scored a thrilling extra time win over Saracens at Twickenham.
Instant Lions hit
North’s contribution to a first Lions series win for 16 years cannot be overstated.
He scored a stunning try in the first Test, finished off another in the third and was involved in one of the most watched moments from any British & Irish Lions Tour in the second.
With the Lions in need of some inspiration when trailing early in the first Test, 21-year-old North provided an almighty spark.
The wing fielded a clearance kick before stepping and fending his way past several gold jerseys to slide into the corner for a glorious solo score, setting the Lions on their way to a series lead.
He provided another memorable moment in the Melbourne-staged second Test with his fireman’s lift on opposite number Folau in a remarkable demonstration of strength and courage.
North then rounded off a fairytale start to his Lions career with a try in the series-deciding third Test win in Sydney.
The second slam
Wales started their 2019 Six Nations campaign with a Friday night encounter in Paris, and it looked bleak for the visitors when they trailed 16-0 at half-time.
As only he could do, North single-handedly swung the momentum of the tie.
He pounced on a defensive error by France wing Yoann Huget to touch down and put Wales back in contention before intercepting lock Sebastien Vahaamahina’s pass to speed away for the match-winning try which completed Wales’ greatest ever comeback.
North’s exploits gave Warren Gatland’s side a huge shot in the arm and they went on to win the Six Nations title and Grand Slam.
One for the history books
Due to a couple of untimely injuries, North was never seen again in the Lions Test arena.
He did, however, play three fixtures on the 2017 Tour to New Zealand and scored in the tense 31-all draw against the Hurricanes but was subsequently forced to return home after tearing his hamstring.
He was then ruled out of the 2021 Tour to South Africa after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for Ospreys.
Yet he remained a destructive force for Wales and won a fourth Six Nations title in 2021, this time featuring largely as a centre.
During the Round 3 victory against England, he became the youngest player to earn 100 caps for Wales.
Then on Super Saturday in 2023 he etched his name further into Welsh rugby’s history books, taking his tally of Championship tries to 23 – the most by any Welshman in the competition.
He calls time on a decorated international career as his country’s third most capped player and will always be remembered as a great try-scorer capable of the sublime whether in Wales or Lions red.
