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The George North/Josh Adams experiment that will pique Wayne Pivac's interest this weekend

By Josh Raisey

10 Jan 2020

George North walks with Wales team-mate Josh Adams during pre-World Cup training (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Given the injury crisis that Wales are currently enduring with their centres ahead of the Six Nations, Cardiff Blues’ Josh Adams and the Ospreys’ George North are both set to start this weekend at outside centre for their clubs in Europe.

Wayne Pivac currently has a dearth of options in the No13 Test team shirt, with first-choice Jonathan Davies ruled out as is Willis Halaholo. Owen Watkin is set to miss the start of the tournament and Scott Williams is currently carrying a hamstring injury.

Given the abundance of wingers that the new coach has, the matches this weekend could be a trial for Adams and North to see who may start there in the opening match of the Six Nations against Italy at the Principality Stadium.

With the Ospreys’ hopes of making it out of their pool in the Champions Cup already extinguished, this is the ideal scenario to test North out in the 13 channel again before the Six Nations without the fear of sacrificing points in the league or a place in the quarter-finals.

However, the two-time British and Irish Lion has played in that position before, although not much, and his defensive capabilities have been called into question there, particularly as it is possibly the trickiest position defensively on the field, certainly for someone who is not accustomed to it.

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Equally, North could be deployed as a useful ball-carrier in the middle of the field, as could Cardiff’s winger Owen Lane as well.

Meanwhile, there is more on the line for Cardiff this Sunday when they travel to Pool Five leaders Leicester Tigers, as there is still a chance they can proceed to the knockout stages of the competition.

However, before Pivac makes any hasty decisions to shoehorn natural wingers into the midfield, there are still players in Wales that many feel are worthy of a call-up. The Scarlets’ Steff Hughes and the Dragons’ Tyler Morgan are two names being tipped to fill this hole in the team.

And there's players like Steff Hughes who would get over looked for the sake of playing two wings in the centre, North was awful last time he played centre! And Adams is on fire as a winger at the minute ridiculous
— Richie1664 (@Richie16641) January 10, 2020

Steff Hughes has been brilliant for us. Not sure he offers enough with the ball for international rugby but proper defender. Shut down Thomas and Lee Lo last Friday. Only time they got round that 13 channel Adams finished a worldy
— Ricky Harries (@RickyHarries) January 10, 2020

The 24-year-old Morgan is seeking to rebuild his international career and add to his five caps, having played in the 2015 World Cup. He played his last Test for Wales in November 2018, so this is a prime opportunity to impress Pivac.

You've got Tyler Morgan at the Dragons or Steff Hughes at the Scarlet's. There's no need to move any winger's infield.
— Thomas Hurley (@merthyrscarlet) January 4, 2020

https://twitter.com/BedwyrMorgan/status/1213292608476340226?s=20

The uncapped Hughes will also be able to provide a lot more defensive certainty in the 13 channel, having impressed in Davies’ absence this season for the Scarlets.

I see both he and North are playing 13 this weekend. Wonder what the likes of Tyler Morgan are thinking?
— John Pearce ??????? (@JPearce_JP) January 10, 2020

I would stick with Parkes and bring in Tyler Morgan for this 6N although I'm not against seeing what Lane or Adams could do. We shouldn't pin our hopes on them, though. Love Steff Hughes but not sure he's quite test level.
Ben Thomas, Tian T-W, Corey Baldwin all possibles?
— Rhiannon Garth Jones (@rhigarthjones) January 9, 2020

The reality is, though, that Pivac will need to assess all possibilities before the Six Nations given the injury crisis – and there is still a very real possibility that North or Adams may need to fill in at some point.

WATCH: RugbyPass have made something truly special with the Barbarians rugby team – the release date is this Sunday, January 12

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Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 46 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

500k registered players in SA are scoolgoers and 90% of them don't go on to senior club rugby. SA is fed by having hundreds upon hundreds of schools that play rugby - school rugby is an institution of note in SA - but as I say for the vast majority when they leave school that's it.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 53 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

There is a continued murmur in local circles about reciprocal bi annual tours between SA and Argentine. Whether it's full blooded test tours or development tours or a mixture - ie touring with a "test" 20 and a development 20 the cream of which will be used in tests. We actually really enjoy playing the Argies and I believe they enjoy playing us. It goes back seventy years to the Junior Bok tours to Argentine involving Isaac van Heerden.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

About 500K of those are schoolboys 90% of which will not go on to play club rugby.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Exactly. Shoo would that it was so easy to develop competitions.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

SA wealthy? Compared to which countries. The economy is in tatters unemployment is at record low numbers and you think SA has money to spend on rugby development -0 and remember the SARU was technically bankrupt and was only saved by the COVID tour of the B&I Lions. No Sa doesn't have spare cash lying round for rugby development and given the resources SARU is doing just fine.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

South African domestic rugby is in great shape. Four top tier franchises fed by a series of competitions ranging from national schools competitions through Varsity Cup to Currie Cup and then to top four franchises is a model Australia would do well to follow. SA should never have more than four top domestic teams.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That might be the best spin off from SA's involvement north of the line.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Of course not Nick 😉

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

We have our own theories about The Sharks. Plumtree is a good coach but he has not done anywhere near the best he could with the talent and money he has at his disposal and it doesn't help to have a marquee director of rugby who has spent by far the majority of his career playing and coaching sevens.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Don't worry - you'll win again soon then you'll feel a lot better. Right now get on with your SH comps and we'll get on with being barely the best in the world.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

JW you really have no idea of how Africa works. It will take generations not decades no matter how much SA puts into it. The poverty in Africa is something that is obviously beyond your understanding. Do you think the governments of impoverished nations are going to watch happily as rugby pours massive investments into infrastructure to promote what is essentially a white western game? And SA was trying hard to develop the game in Africa until the African vote blocked our "23 bid after the independent consultants to the RFU voted unanimously for SA? The Confederation of African Rugby virtually excluded South Africa.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.

"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"

After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 2 hours ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 2 hours ago

How Wallace Sititi humbly reacted to All Blacks Player of the Year honour