George North destroys Wales' defence and scores stunning try seconds after coming on
George North made an immediate impact on his Barbarians debut, scoring a try with his first touch just seconds after coming on to face Wales at Allianz Stadium Twickenham on Saturday afternoon. The 34-year-old Welsh rugby legend, who announced his retirement in April, powered through the Welsh defence to make it a fairytale final appearance.
It took less than two minutes for North to make his mark. Off the back of a scrum, the ball made its way through the Barbarians' back line with Harry Plummer's looping pass finding North on the right wing. Bringing the ball under control, North powered through tackle attempts from Dan Edwards and Ellis Mee, sending the latter crashing to the ground as he steamrolled his way over the line.
North was not finished there. He crossed for a second try on 70 minutes, running it in under the posts after the Baa-Baas found an overlap on the right. He also kicked his first conversion in his professional career, though Wales ultimately won 33-31.
The 34-year-old had turned professional at 17 after making 121 appearances for Wales. He won four titles and toured twice with the British Irish Lions. Ahead of the match, North explained his decision to play one final game, telling RugbyPass: "I still feel good I can still compete but I m starting to creak. But I m 34 now I turned professional at 17 and I ve been on the go ever since. With my young family I ve had enough time missing things that were important."
On representing the Barbarians, he said: "It's always been a dream of mine to play for the Barbarians so to be invited now for a game at Twickenham against Wales is just incredible. I have been so privileged to enjoy the career that I have had and I have so many unforgettable memories from Wales and friendships to last a lifetime."
North was emotional after the final whistle, breaking down in tears during his post-match interview. He was supported by his wife Becky, a former Olympic cyclist, and their two sons at Twickenham.