George North red carded just 6 minutes after scoring impressive opening try for Ospreys
Ospreys wing George North ran the full gamut of emotions at the Liberty Stadium, scoring a well-taken try before minute later being sent off for a reckless challenge on Ashton Hewitt.
North took just seven minutes to barge his way over for his side’s opening try in their Guinness PRO14 derby clash with the Dragons. After a 5-month plus wait for rugby to return, it was a fitting way to mark the Ospreys’ return to the Liberty Stadium.
A star of the British and Irish Lions in 2013 and scorer of 40 tries for Wales, North has had his fair share of criticism in recent years, with some feeling the hulking, north Wales wing is past his best. A mediocre Six Nations campaign was grist to the mill for his detractors.
The 28-years-old’s try of 7 minutes certainly defied that view of North. A brilliant break up the centre of the pitch by scrumhalf Rhys Webb eventually saw the ball spun out wide to North who was waiting out on the wing. The 6’4, 109kg wing didn’t need to be asked twice, bouncing off the attention of Ashton Hewitt and the covering tackle of Dafydd Howells, before crashing over the line.
A meaty bump off in the corner from @George_North opens the scoring ?
Great start from @ospreys, how will @dragonsrugby reply?
?? Watch Live Now on @PremierSportsTV
?? Watch Live Now on @eirSport#GuinnessPRO14 #OSPvDRA pic.twitter.com/YI1QTrAeGG— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) August 23, 2020
It may not have been vintage George North but it was an impressively taken try. However, it all turned sour just six minutes later when he was given a straight red for an awkward challenge that left Hewitt sprawled on the turf.
North collided with an airborne Hewitt, spinning the Dragons wing who landed awkwardly on his back. Referee Adam Jones sent him on his way.
Rollercoaster 10 minutes for @George_North as he scores the opener then sees red after a clumsy mid-air tackle… ?
How will that affect the game for @dragonsrugby and @ospreys?
?? Watch Live Now on @PremierSportsTV
?? Watch Live Now on @eirSport#GuinnessPRO14 #OSPvDRA pic.twitter.com/J8l9SoLPGg— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) August 23, 2020
OSPREYS: Dan Evans; George North, Owen Watkin, Kieran Williams, Luke Morgan; Stephen Myler, Rhys Webb; Nicky Smith, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Olly Cracknell, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morris. Reps: Dewi Lake, Gareth Thomas, Nicky Thomas, Bradley Davies, Will Griffiths, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Josh Thomas, Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler.
DRAGONS: Dafydd Howells; Owen Jenkins, Nick Tompkins, Jack Dixon, Ashton Hewitt; Sam Davies (capt), Tavis Knoyle; Brok Harris, Richard Hibbard, Leon Brown, Matthew Screech, Joe Maksymiw, Ben Fry, Taine Basham, Ross Moriarty. Reps: Ellis Shipp, Conor Maguire, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Aaron Wainwright, Luke Baldwin, Arwel Robson, Adam Warren.
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, PRO14 debut)
Comments on RugbyPass
Whether true or not, all the best to you Sam Cane. A warrior of a player and a loyal servant to the ABs! Go get you some yen and have some fun.
2 Go to commentsThe game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
37 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
97 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
8 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
2 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
2 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to commentsSaturday was last straw. Terrible record in Premiership since Jan 23. Capitulation against Bath at home. There are 3 conclusions. Players aren't good enough. Coaching team aren't good enough or combination of both.
2 Go to commentsAs you say in your article Brett, the point was Hamish and his vanity - plain and simple. The crazy bit is that sua’ali’i has to be probably twice the player of mark N, no easy feat, just for RA to get their money's worth!?! And as you say, tahs aren't short of wingers, props on the other hand id like to see $1.6m spent on. I still shake my head at the absolute carry on in the media and comments section around the boon of getting sua’ali’i and the revenue it'd generate. It was all such hogwash imo and short sighted, real sugar hit stuff. And wasnt Waugh (and others) on the board at the time this money was spent? You say silver bullet, I'd say sugar hit but without the flavour.
8 Go to commentsNZR should play hard all a bit with some of these players and make them sign up to the next world cup. If they won’t, offer it to someone who will. Because what happens is the NH (especially France) swoop on a bunch of nz players coming off contract, weakening their depth, and nz scrambles less than 2 years out trying to get replacements up to speed.
1 Go to commentsNo thanks. Savea almost always leaves easy points out there and goes for the corner, no matter how many times it’s not working. He claimed he took “the learnings” from this when he kept making the same mistake against the Boks a few years ago. Then went out the very next week and did the same thing and SA snatched victory because of it. Years later he still does it, right up to and including the world cup final. Great player, not so great rugby nous.
10 Go to commentsIt certainly wasn't a rhetorical masterpiece coming from big E …. (just as a side remark: Eben is the better player, Siya by far the better talker - maybe that's why they don't seem to like each other very much) …. but could we please move on?
70 Go to commentsMan who wasn't there and hasn't held a conversation with those who were present weighs in on dead rubber debate and is presented as representative of the Irish Rugby Union’s spokesperson on subject he has no apparent knowledge of whatsoever.
70 Go to commentsanybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
6 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
70 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
10 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
10 Go to comments