#Hassan. Posted February 25, 2021 Posted February 25, 2021 There have been challenges for the man who has played for Scarlets and Northampton, with much-publicised issues with concussions. Through the words of some of those who have helped him along the way plus former team-mates and opponents, BBC Wales Sport charts the story of a modern-day Wales great. Keith Withers was North's PE teacher at Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern, Holyhead "I remember George coming in, as a wide-eyed, bubbly young lad. He was very innocent, talkative and hugely enthusiastic. "He was very athletic, but not necessarily the size he is now, not that much bigger than anybody else at 11. "He was a good player and had been to Llangefni prior to coming to the school. Most importantly he was a rugby boy, who at the time were few and far between because it was a football area. "His knowledge of the game was what stood out. I made him captain of the under-13s and asked him to do a team talk before the first school game. "I had to stop him after about two minutes because he wouldn't shut up. That just sums up how he is, he had a lot of knowledge of the game, even at that age. "He was initially playing flanker and I took one look at him and saw he liked to run around people rather than solely through them. So I played him at centre and kept him at 13 throughout the five years he spent in school. "By the time he was 16 he had grown and developed and he grew again in the sixth form after moving to Llandovery College. "His father was instrumental in his development, taking him here, there and everywhere. The problem we had in north Wales was we had little to gauge good players against because international players up here have been very few. "I knew he was something special, but wasn't sure how he would be down south against players of similar ability. "He is very grounded and definitely an Anglesey boy and has always been proud of his roots. He'd been back to the school when I was still there, came to say hello and had a chat. "By the time he left our school it was only two-and-a-half years before he won his first Wales cap. "Winning 100 caps has not surprised me and he is only 28. He has got good years at the top level and deserves every success." Nigel Davies was North's first professional coach at Scarlets, where he marked his competitive debut against Benetton in September 2010 with two tries. "My first memories are when George played for Scarlets under-16s against Ospreys. It didn't seem fair on the other boys because he was about the size he is now and on a different level. "You could see from an early age he was a very capable young man. There was was more to George than just immense physicality. "He had a natural aptitude for the game and at 17 or 18 he was able to play in the man's game. "It was clear he was ready to play. I remember the Wales coaches coming down for one Scarlets session and I said 'you've got to keep your eye on this guy'. "His first senior game for us was in Treviso. He scored two tries which he had to work hard for, so proved his worth from the off. "Some boys are physically ready, George was also emotionally ready. Players like him come along once in a generation. "It was clear he was going to make a big impact on world rugby and this 100 Wales caps accolade proves that. "Mentally he has been strong also. It's been encouraging the last six months to see George getting back to somewhere near his best. He deserves it, being a good guy and exceptional talent." Warren Gatland was Wales coach when he selected North to play against South Africa in November 2010, with the then teenager responding by scoring two tries on his international debut. "That was pretty special. When he came onto the scene you saw an unbelievably talented person who was well over 100kgs, had great footwork and was explosive, powerful and quick and had X-factor. "In the 2011 World Cup he was absolutely sensational. We played Fiji in Hamilton and George was just absolutely on fire. Every time he touched the ball he was unstoppable. The other memory was when he picked up Israel Folau on the Lions' tour of 2013. "He played some of his best rugby in 2011-2013, then picked up a number of injuries which were well-documented, and perhaps he lost a bit of form and confidence. "What's pleasing is he's had his ups and downs, but has now rediscovered some of that form. "There were tough times for him when he left Wales and Scarlets and went to Northampton, although it was a good life experience for him. "That's what good players do, they go through times when they're not always in good form. "I'm delighted for him because he's a father now and seems comfortable. He's got a good life balance and that's key, happy at home and stuff. He looks like he hasn't got the weight of the world on his shoulders. "So 100 caps is a fantastic achievement, given his age and potentially he could earn a lot more caps. He deserves everything he achieves."
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