What the hell is up with George North?
The Welsh winger had, until today, looked solid in defence but blunt in attack on his appearances for the Lions. Even so, most expect Lions coach Warren Gatland to select him for the First Test against the All Blacks.
Against the Maori All Blacks, North had a shocker as he shelled the ball after sliding back to collect a Nehe Milner-Skudder kick.
Wales and Lions teammate Leigh Halfpenny was on hand to help muddle the situation but North will have to own this one as the ball spilled out and Liam Messam was gifted an easy score:
Oh George… pic.twitter.com/LRkJ8P4KrS
— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) June 17, 2017
With Gatland surprising many by calling up four extra Welsh players to the Lions squad on the same day, many rugby fans had an obvious solution to North’s woes…
Poor from North and Halfpenny. What this squad needs is more Welsh lads #lions
— Jonny Davis (@imaginejonny) June 17, 2017
Solution: more Welsh players
— John O Loughlin (@joloughlin100) June 17, 2017
Don't worry George North, Gatland will call up Wales 13th choice winger to replace you #LionsNZ2017 #MABvBIL
— Patrick (@PatPageWard) June 17, 2017
https://twitter.com/JamieThompson36/status/875984248716627968
https://twitter.com/rugbycoffeehapp/status/875983913507856384
Some went the other way
George North, couldn't make my pub side… that's a disgrace. Send home all the welsh https://t.co/3xPbfmPVlj
— GN (@welovegav) June 17, 2017
Gatland used travel and time zones as his main excuse for calling up the New Zealand-based players but England’s Ben Foden was one of so, so many to dismiss that notion:
Wouldn't matter if a player was on the moon, if the call came from @lionsofficial they would make it back and give anything asked! #shame
— Ben Foden (@ben_foden) June 17, 2017
It may be slightly unfair, but the pressure on each and every Welsh player in the Lions squad has now been ramped up.
And there are still three Tests against the All Blacks to come…
