He scored a marvellous try in the first Test, finished off another in the third and was involved in most of the iconic moments of the British & Irish Lions tour – George North’s contribution to a first series win for 16 years cannot be overstated.
It’s hard to forget that North is just 21. Standing at 6ft 4ins and weighing nearly 17 stone, the Welsh winger is a flyer that takes some stopping.
And in the first Test, just when the Lions needed him, he produced.
Australia’s tails were up after Will Genia’s superb break had put Israel Folau in for the first try of the series but North responded – and in some style.
He fielded a clearance kick and found himself with space to build up a head of steam and he left Australian after Australian trailing in his wake before touching down in the corner.
In the second Test, in truth, he was starved of possession but he still managed to grab the headlines with his fireman’s lift on opposite number Folau.
And in the third Test, he was back in the thick of the action. One take under a high ball with Folau threatening lingers long in the memory and it was North who gathered Jonny Sexton’s dink over the top down the left to set the wheels in motion for the Irishman’s crucial try.
And North got in on the act himself after the superb Leigh Halfpenny teed him up for his second Lions Test score – he now has 14 Test tries in 34 appearances and there are likely to be many more for the tourists in the future.
“Winning Lions! It is something all players dream about achieving but very few get to experience. I feel privileged to be a part of this group,” wrote North in his newspaper column.
“Trouble is, I couldn’t take in what we’d achieved because I couldn’t see for ten minutes, there was so much champagne sprayed in my eyes. I was staggering around shouting: ‘Where am I?’
“Finally, in the last Test we showed how we always envisaged playing out here and it felt great to play some sexy rugby. After two months together we really clicked in those final 30 minutes.
“The last ten minutes dragged on and on and you’re just desperately wanting the clock to tick over. I will never forget the moment of the final whistle.
“I can’t remember who I hugged first, I just remember the sight of jumping red jerseys and the sound of everyone screaming. Alun Wyn Jones was so exhausted I had to help him to his feet and stand him up while he got his breath back for a few minutes.
“With any luck I will still be looking back at these moments when I’m 110 years old — and I’ll still be smiling.”
