North’s joy at reaching his century

FOR ALL the acolytes, accolades and achievements George North has collected over the years he is not only immensely satisfied to have made it to 100 caps, but to have stuck it to his critics. ‘It’s been a nine-year goal,’ today’s Welsh centurion told Sportsmail. ‘I’m almost there now. I’ve given so much towards it, but it’s taken a lot out of me to get here. Ups and downs for sure, a few bullets taken to the chest, but it’s something I’m incredibly proud of.’ Today North becomes the youngest ever player at 28 to hit 100 for a single country. ‘I don’t think I really appreciated the hype or the attention. I was quite blase about it,’ North said of his early days, speaking on behalf of Dove Men+Care. ‘I was so oblivious that everything I’d worked for, dreamt about was happening. ‘If you fast-forward 10-and-a-bit years I haven’t stopped and it’s been the same amount of attention and pressure. ‘When you have to grow up quickly you have to learn about the pressures of international sport, the pressure pot we’re in every day, the scrutiny we get each game.’ North admits he struggled between 2013 and 2018 when at Northampton, in a perceived rut, between concussions and criticism. ‘It was certainly a s*** time,’ he explained. ‘I couldn’t do anything right. ‘My body had played a lot of rugby at that point and was churning out games. I wasn’t playing at 100 per cent — nowhere near it sometimes. ‘I got myself into a rut — the external pressures were too much, and I was reading too much into it. ‘If I wasn’t scoring nine tries a game, setting up three, making 1,000 metres, 12 tackles it was a poor game. ‘I leant on my parents, Becky and my mates the most.’ Of wife Becky, who won Olympic silver as a track cyclist, North said: ‘She’s been incredible these past nine years.’ The arrival of baby Jac last year has afforded North a new focus. ‘He’s the best thing in the world,’ said North. ‘Without the family support I wouldn’t be the sportsman or bloke I am today.’