Rugby fans love an official list, a ranking, a team of this year or that year and so on. For that reason, there was no shortage of interest and debate when the World Rugby Team of the Decade, “picked in association with Mastercard” was announced this week. Eyebrows were raised at the bloke on the right wing. They should not have been, says Harri Morgan.
Advocates for including Michael Owen in a Premier League team of the Noughties would likely have been subject to a whirlwind of polite disagreement from social media.
At the end of the decade, Owen was predominantly collecting splinters at Manchester United, who he had joined on a free transfer following Newcastle’s relegation at the end of the 2008-9 season.
He hadn’t always been an extra. Far from it.
In 2001, Owen was awarded the Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious individual award in world football.
It made him one of only two players to receive the award whilst playing for a Premier League club during that decade.
The England striker departed Anfield for the Santiago Bernebeu in 2004. He was a Galactico – a superstar. Then, it started to dwindle due to persistent injuries, and didn’t really stop.
When forming memory-based opinions, the mind has a tendency to unconsciously favour the recent past over its distant brother.
Hence, when we think of Owen the mind might throw in the odd shining light – such as the goal against Argentina at France 98 – but the more recent, ordinary years, casts a shadow over the dominant finishing force he once was.
On Monday, World Rugby announced their male and female team of the decade.
They were maybe undermined by Kieran Reed and Aaron Smith being overlooked from overseeing matters at the rear of the scrum.
The single Welsh selection might also have raised a few eyebrows. Number 14 – George North.
Like his fellow ‘Gog’ – Michael Owen – North burst onto the international scene as a teenager. His two tries on debut in 2010 against South Africa came after just a handful of first team appearances for the Scarlets.
As a 19-year-old – having already made a name for himself at the World Cup – he was an integral part of the 2012 Welsh Grand Slam winning side. His assist for Jonathan Davies’ try at the Aviva Stadium remains something to behold – footwork, power and sleight of hand.
Rugby hadn’t witnessed such a physically dominant teenager – since you know who, back in 1995.
After Jonah, came George the Lion. Boy, did he roar.
His escapades in the first Test in 2013 belong on the tapestry of Lions folklore. Midway through the first half, he plucked a Berrick Barnes’ bomb from the Brisbane sky and accelerated.
Reminiscent of a certain England striker in St Etienne back in 98, North wasn’t thinking about the next phase, or the ‘right’ option. This was a player riding high on a cocktail of self-belief and the fizzy freedom of youth.
He likely wasn’t thinking about much at all, just doing what came naturally – maximum destruction.
Had anyone suggested subsequent to the match that we had witnessed peak George North, they would likely have been laughed out of the room. He was 21.
North’s presence in the international arena for the bulk of the decade was no doubt a tick in the positive column when those tasked with selecting the team of the teens went about their comparison.
However, the best of his book of work, and the justification for his selection in a global team as a world class wing, is to be found in the opening chapters.
I have no evidence that would warrant the attribution of causation, but it would be remiss not to mention the role of concussion when discussing the performance level of the former Scarlet and Saint.
In light of developments in the understanding of the implications of concussion, particularly in the past week, it would be illogical of anyone to think a series of serious concussions wouldn’t impact a player’s approach to a collision sport.
Regardless of reason, North’s legacy is very much exposed to the prominence of recency.
However, at only 28 he still has an opportunity to redefine the recent memories that we have of him.
Unlike Owen, who had a dependency on the pace that allowed his finishing prowess to flourish, North still has the core attributes which made him a sensation in his early career.
We may not see the manifestation of these attributes as we came to expect in days past, but he can still be a point of difference for Wales at the next World Cup and beyond.
#OTD in 2013 @George_North scored this iconic try in the First Test against the @wallabies 🇦🇺.@lionsofficial 🦁 went on to win the game 23-21 in Brisbane.
Re-live some other classic Lions tries here 👉 https://t.co/N79r4eRspw pic.twitter.com/FzgFk54AVr
— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) June 22, 2020
Deploying North in midfield may hold the key to maximising his involvement.
Wales once again experimented with him in the 13 jersey against Italy last week.
When I watched the game live, my success criteria for North as a centre was a couple of searing outside breaks and repeat tackle busts when utilised down the middle.
These were standards I demanded from the Osprey because of what I have seen from him in days past.
My conclusions were significantly more positive when I watched the game back a second time and judged North’s performance on the merit of his actions in the moment rather than my expectations of what he ‘should’ be achieving.
He wasn’t perfect at Parc y Scarlets, but got plenty of touches and made plenty the hard, Hadleigh Parkes-style yards.
Seven years ago today, George North did this to Israel Folau 😲 pic.twitter.com/BfbH5Nu0Ls
— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) June 29, 2020
Not pretty, but good enough to get the front foot ball which has such a premium in the current game.
If Wayne Pivac wants to better understand the impact North can have in midfield he must cease with the sporadic experimentation, and replace it with a clinical trial.
North needs a repeat prescription to life in the middle. This will allow him to develop his craft, away from the additional pressure and scrutiny inherent in international rugby.
Likewise, it will provide selectors with a far greater sample size from which to assess the areas of his game to be enhanced for him to become a world class midfield back.
An exciting opportunity presents itself for North, not to chase his past, but instead to ensure he is the best current version of himself.
You can’t ask for more than that.
In a year devastated by the COVID pandemic, World Rugby decided to forego their usual annual awards ceremony and instead opted to celebrate the last decade. The awards were split between fan-selected winners and an Awards Panel selection.
There were three World Cups during the decade, two won by New Zealand (2011, 2015) and one by South Africa (2019). There were also two tours by the British & Irish Lions (2013, 2017).
North went on both Lions tours, scoring two tries in three Tests in Australia in 2013, and ended the decade with 39 tries in 95 games for Wales and two more for the Lions. While he is the only Welshman in the team, two of his Lions team mates, Brian O’Driscoll and Conor Murray, were selected from Ireland and Italian No 8 Sergio Parisse also made the grade.
There are no players from England, Scotland, France or Argentina. New Zealand, who won the World Cup twice during the decade, provide seven players, South Africa three and Australia one.
World Rugby Team of the Decade: Ben Smith (New Zealand); George North (Wales / Lions), Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland / Lions), Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand), Bryan Habana (South Africa); Dan Carter (New Zealand), Conor Murray (Ireland / Lions); Tendai Mtawarira (South Africa), Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa), Owen Franks (New Zealand), Brodie Retallick (New Zealand), Sam Whitelock (New Zealand), David Pocock (Australia), Richie McCaw (New Zealand), Sergio Parisse (Italy).