George North made it some farewell in south-west London, as he crossed twice for the Barbarians against Wales in his final match of a remarkable 16-year career.
“I call him ‘Sir’ George even though I’m a bit older than him,” said two-time World Cup-winning scrum-half and Baa-Baas captain Faf de Klerk.
With his first touch in the contest after coming off the bench on the 47-minute mark, now with a baronet-worthy title, North brilliantly scored.
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Then, following scoring a second, for the first time in his professional career, he added the extras to end a standout career.
“He’s been great,” praised de Klerk. “When it comes to the job, you can see he turns it on, and that’s a testament to why he’s had more than 100 caps.”
It was a fairytale kind of ending for North, who has been a brilliant servant for Welsh rugby. It was some way to end, even though it didn’t occur in Cardiff.
Albeit he ended on the losing side, as Wales claimed the spoils narrowly 33-31, he still showed his capabilities and did so brilliantly,
“I would have bitten your arm off,” said North in the bowels of Allianz Stadium on if what occurred could have happened.
“The only thing that topped it would have been three tries scored in Cardiff.” But you can’t have everything.
“It’s been a massive privilege to have this final game because I did not think I would get one.
“To score two tries and finish like that in front of the Welsh guys in the crowd and with the Barbarians boys, after a special week, has been incredible.
“I have loved every second, but to be able to draw a line underneath things like that is amazing.”
On the tries the 34-year-old scored, when asked whether it was muscle memory, he offered an honest assessment. “It was a Forrest Gump moment, I think,” he said.
“I don’t know, I panicked, I kept running. At that point, it was a case of do what you know, take a deep breath and keep going.”
It was a sparse crowd at Twickenham for this finale, which, if it were in Wales, would probably have had a larger audience. That’s without question, a crowd of 20,000 would have been incredibly generous.
There was a strong contingent of Welsh supporters in the English capital, who watched one of their greats score twice against their side.
Asked about the feeling of scoring against his native Wales, North stated that the only way to describe it was ‘weird’. However, his career achievements were highlighted in both changing rooms following the match.
“There was a lovely presentation with the boys in the Welsh changing room, and I felt honoured they spoke so kindly of me,” North added.
“It is a special group, and I said I was jealous that I couldn’t be on that journey with them.
“It is an amazing opportunity to stamp their mark on the jersey and shape how this team goes forward.
“I think with Steve (Tandy) and the rest of the coaching team and the squad, they’ve got a great opportunity now to make strides forward.”
The 121-times capped international in 2024 called time on his international career, where he scored 235 points for Wales.
All of which came from crossing the whitewash, not adding the extras of a score.
“I was worried about my hamstrings, and I was right at the back of the queue, and the boys pushed me forward,” he said.
“There’s almost more pressure on that than anything in my career.
“If I missed that one, I would have never lived it down.”
Now for North, who ended his club playing career with Provence in Pro D2 in France, after exploits with Scarlets, Northampton Saints, and Ospreys.
There is now one lingering question: what is next for one of Wales’ all-time greats, and does it involve remaining involved in rugby in some capacity?
“I am looking forward to having some time to chill,” North added.
“This is the first time I’ve stopped properly without anything needing medical attention for a while, so I am just happy with that.
“Rugby has given me so much for a long time.
“I have said to the Welsh boys, if anyone needs any help or if there is anything I can do for them, I’m only a phone call away.
“What that looks like, I don’t know yet. But a holiday is definitely needed first.”
From inside the Welsh set-up, both head coach Tandy and captain Dewi Lake spoke fondly of the winger in their post-match press conference.
“It’s always great for great players to finish on a high, but it’s great that he didn’t finish on too much of a high,” Tandy jokingly added.
“He’s been an amazing ambassador and rugby player for our country. I wish him all the best in his future.”
Lake said: “He’s been unbelievable for Wales and for the Lions and for me personally throughout my career.
“I don’t think there’s a better way for him to have finished off, coming off the bench, scoring two tries
“I wish him all the best because he’s done a lot of work for this country in this jersey.”
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