North star has perfect attitude, says Pivac

WAYNE Pivac has praised George North’s attitude and appetite as he prepares to win his 100th Wales cap and become a rugby union recordbreaker.

North will reach a century in Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against England at the Principality Stadium.

And at 28 years and 320 days, he will eclipse Australia captain Michael Hooper by four weeks as the youngest player to clock up 100 appearances for their country.

North made his Test debut as an 18-year-old wing in 2010, scoring two tries against South Africa, and he becomes the sixth member of Wales’ 100 cap club after current captain Alun Wyn Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas and Martyn Williams.

“A lot of that was done under Warren (Pivac’s Wales head coach predecessor Warren Gatland), and what he has done in the past has been well-documented,” Pivac said.

“He is still highly-motivated and wants to play for Wales well past 100 games. I am sure he is going to do that with the attitude he is showing at the moment and the form he will bring to the 13 jersey.”

Alun Wyn Jones holds the Wales cap record on 145 Test appearances, and Pivac added: “He (North) is certainly the one that is going to challenge that number if he stays fit and his form continues to hold.

“The big fella is very keen to keep pulling the jersey on. He has still got that appetite that he had as a youngster.”

North and Jonathan Davies form Wales’ centre pairing against England, having recovered from foot and ankle injuries respectively, while wing Josh Adams returns after serving a two-match ban. WALES LINE-UP: L Williams (Scarlets); L Rees-Zammit (Gloucester), G North (Ospreys), J Davies (Scarlets), J Adams (Cardiff Blues); D Biggar (Northampton), K Hardy (Scarlets); W Jones (Scarlets), K Owens (Scarlets), T Francis (Exeter), A Beard (Ospreys), A W Jones (Ospreys, capt), J Navidi (Cardiff Blues), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Bath).