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George North red carded just 6 minutes after scoring impressive opening try for Ospreys

By Ian Cameron
George North (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)

Ospreys wing George North ran the full gamut of emotions at the Liberty Stadium, scoring a well-taken try before minute later being sent off for a reckless challenge on Ashton Hewitt.

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North took just seven minutes to barge his way over for his side’s opening try in their Guinness PRO14 derby clash with the Dragons. After a 5-month plus wait for rugby to return, it was a fitting way to mark the Ospreys’ return to the Liberty Stadium.

A star of the British and Irish Lions in 2013 and scorer of 40 tries for Wales, North has had his fair share of criticism in recent years, with some feeling the hulking, north Wales wing is past his best. A mediocre Six Nations campaign was grist to the mill for his detractors.

The 28-years-old’s try of 7 minutes certainly defied that view of North. A brilliant break up the centre of the pitch by scrumhalf Rhys Webb eventually saw the ball spun out wide to North who was waiting out on the wing. The 6’4, 109kg wing didn’t need to be asked twice, bouncing off the attention of Ashton Hewitt and the covering tackle of Dafydd Howells, before crashing over the line.

It may not have been vintage George North but it was an impressively taken try. However, it all turned sour just six minutes later when he was given a straight red for an awkward challenge that left Hewitt sprawled on the turf.

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North collided with an airborne Hewitt, spinning the Dragons wing who landed awkwardly on his back. Referee Adam Jones sent him on his way.

OSPREYS: Dan Evans; George North, Owen Watkin, Kieran Williams, Luke Morgan; Stephen Myler, Rhys Webb; Nicky Smith, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Olly Cracknell, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morris. Reps: Dewi Lake, Gareth Thomas, Nicky Thomas, Bradley Davies, Will Griffiths, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Josh Thomas, Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler.

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DRAGONS: Dafydd Howells; Owen Jenkins, Nick Tompkins, Jack Dixon, Ashton Hewitt; Sam Davies (capt), Tavis Knoyle; Brok Harris, Richard Hibbard, Leon Brown, Matthew Screech, Joe Maksymiw, Ben Fry, Taine Basham, Ross Moriarty. Reps: Ellis Shipp, Conor Maguire, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Aaron Wainwright, Luke Baldwin, Arwel Robson, Adam Warren.

Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, PRO14 debut)

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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