'I don't think my vocabulary is good enough to describe that!'
George North admits he would struggle to find the right words if Wales reach their first Rugby World Cup final. The Six Nations champions will achieve that feat if they beat South Africa in Sunday’s second semi-final at Yokohama International Stadium.
North’s Test career began as an 18-year-old against the Springboks in 2010 when he marked his Wales debut by scoring two tries. Since then, he has been part of Six Nations wins and Grand Slam successes, as well as a World Cup semi-final defeat in 2011.
And as he prepares to win his 91st cap, North knows the magnitude of Sunday’s occasion. “I don’t think my vocabulary is good enough to describe that!” North said when asked about the possibility of a World Cup final. “Obviously, 2011 was incredible, 2015 we were one step off where we are now and, from our point of view, the boys are just raring to go.
“We know the challenges facing us, we know how well South Africa are playing and the impact they’ve had, and I think it will be massive. I think this one has got a better feeling about it (than 2011). From our point of view, we are chuffed to be here, thrilled to be one of the last three standing.
“In 2011 we went into it as a bit of an unknown and got there by sheer determination and belief. The most annoying thing now is just waiting for the game. The boys are champing at the bit to get involved, get in the mixer and get playing.”
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Wales have beaten South Africa in five of their last six meetings, including four successive victories. Asked about his own form ahead of another tilt at the Springboks, North added: “Mixed, if I’m honest. Obviously, this is the biggest stage and where you want to be playing your best rugby.
“I’ve not been playing badly, but not to where I want to be. But to see where we are now in a semi-final and to be part of it is something special. So from my point of view, we’ve just got to stay positive, keep grafting and hopefully I will get a few more touches.
“These are the games that you do all the hard graft for, the months of preparation, the altitude camps, the heat camps, every other camp we’ve been on up until now. To get to a semi-final is massive. It’s certainly one of the biggest games of my career and my life. Hopefully, we can go out and perform and have an even bigger one next week.”
Some contrast between a World Cup semi-final in Yokohama with Wales and a League Two football match away at the Jobserve Community Stadium in Colchester with Newport https://t.co/7HmutSVo3W
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 25, 2019
Injuries have sidelined full-back Liam Williams and back row forward Josh Navidi from the semi-final, but centre Jonathan Davies has recovered from a knee problem to partner Hadleigh Parkes in midfield. Leigh Halfpenny, meanwhile, takes over from Williams and Ross Moriarty packs down at No8 instead of Navidi.
Wales assistant coach Stephen Jones said: “Jon is a good communicator, who does his role very well. It’s great to have him fully fit and ready to go. He is fit and he has trained very well. He’s hitting the ball well, he is getting into position quickly. He has got the green light and he is good to go.
“It’s disappointing to lose Liam, but we’ve got Leigh Halfpenny coming in, who is a wonderful player. He brings a different dimension to the back-line. Look at Leigh’s game, aerially he is very good, his work-rate behind the defensive line is top drawer.”
– Press Association
WATCH: Jim Hamilton previews the Wales versus South Africa semi-final on the latest episode of Don’t Mess With Jim
Comments on RugbyPass
Anna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
8 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to comments