George will need to get defence up to speed
I“A dangerous George North with hands on the ball on more occasions will be a huge benefit to Wales”
WAS surprised and delighted in equal measure to see Warren Gatland reveal George North is a centre option for Wales’ summer tour clashes against South Africa and Argentina next month. I’m really pleased George is involved at all because I’m sure it would have been very easy for Warren and the coaching staff to give him a rest ahead of next season.
And then, what position is best for him to play? Before the squad announcement, I like most people would have thought the answer to that is pretty straight forward. We all know George is a world-class winger, someone who can almost win a game on his own and there’s no doubt that when he’s fit and firing, he would get into any side in the world.
But I think a switch to centre, even if it’s for only one game, or part of it, could end up doing George the world of good.
Warren is a very shrewd coach and the reason George is going on tour with Wales is that after an injury-hit, frustrating season, he wants George back to his best – and the player himself will want to rediscover that old form and feel his hands on the ball again.
This is where his potential move to the centre comes in. As a wing when you’re looking to get back into form, one of the best ways to do that is to get as many touches as you can over the 80 minutes.
That’s why Warren could end up being very clever in terms of what he does with George, because George could be a huge success at No.13.
George’s assets are his strong running, physical ball carrying, and ability to get over the gain line. He bursts tackles for fun and is a nightmare to defend against. I should know having had the pleasure of doing just that in Wales training!
But George is a much better footballer than he gets given credit for. He’s got a very good pass on him and he can be a creative force when he needs to be.
All of the above means George can thrive in the 13 channel – that’s a better fit for him than inside centre in my view – and even if it’s a temporary switch, class is permanent in any position.
We’ve seen in the past in some of his midfield cameos that George can play centre – I’m thinking about the 2015 World Cup – and we could see a repeat of that next month.
I’m sure some people will be questioning why Wales need to switch George from his best position when barring injuries, we should have Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes and Scott Williams as midfield options for Japan next year. Then there are guys like Owen Watkin and Tyler Morgan to consider, too.
I certainly understand the point, but if trying George in a different area of the field gets him back to among the best wings in the world, it will all be worth it.
Summer tours at this stage of a fouryear World Cup cycle are about experimenting a little and on the whole I’m far from against that. If you look at the 31-man party who will take on South Africa and Argentina, there is only one uncapped player – Tomos Williams – despite Wales resting almost all of their first-choice stars. That shows you the strength in depth is coming and there is a nice balance there.
The only concern I’d have about George playing centre is in defence. I’m not saying he can’t fulfil that role – far from it – but you have to make a lot of tough calls without the ball in the 13 jersey. Do you rush up to make a tackle or hold your position? Do you attempt to take man and ball or go low in the tackle?
These are difficult questions to answer in the heat of the moment and the more you play in that position, the better you get. That’s why for me Jonathan Davies is the best 13 in the world, especially in defence, because he has all the responses to those questions when needed. Still, George, the only Lion going on the tour, might yet end up with the chance to master those arts and you wouldn’t bet against him doing so. It will be no surprise to me if we see George at centre more and more next season too, both for Wales and the Ospreys, especially if he impresses this summer. The bottom line is that a dangerous George with his hands on the ball on more and more occasions is going to be a huge benefit to whichever side he plays for, whichever position that is in. Surely that can only be a good thing.