North a centre 'option'?

Aside from the fact that this is a slap in the face to players like Adam Hughes and Bishop, I can't help but feel we gain nothing from North at centre.

Yes he is a big powerful quick guy who can sort of offload, but let's not full into the trap England have with Manu Tuilagi where their top strike runner actually suffocates their width at times.

Also, by taking North off the wing, that removes another strike running option, whereas using him at 11, he and Cuthbert can hit more obscure and difficult lines from deep and we would still have the centres able to do their work.

In short I just feel North shouldn't be viewed as a starting centre, just because he could play 13 doesn't mean he should.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20317819

For Wales I'd definately say no, for the lions however...

Yeah I seen Jenkins on tv saying this and I thought whats the ******* point of having players like Beck in the squad not to mention centre plying their trade week in week out with the Regions, if you are going to move North to the centre.

I am not saying North couldn't do job there but surely use specialist players first FFS, if the need arose during the game then fair enough.

thebluesmancometh wrote:For Wales I'd definately say no, for the lions however...

Its the same team isnt it?

Loosehead...i dont think id go for that to be honest...keep them on the wign where they can do more damage and have legitimate centres who play centres for their regions.

I also think your right about Tuilagi at times...however it looks like SL's tactic is to utilise Goode to pass beyond Tuilagi at the right times...
Do Wales have a FB capable of that? Then it might work?

Goode is being utilised as the JD2 of the England side, and it looks ok so far, lets wait for better opposition though GF!!

Absolutely...and it could leave space at the back...

See what happens on Sat.

He would also need to start playing centre at club/region level...
but there is succesfull examples of "powerful" wings moving to 13, Fofana being one of them.

I would give it try tbh. He's just as powerful as roberts so could be used in a 'crash ball' option, and a lot faster. If there is anyone who can off load in the tackle sonny bill style then North is ideal.

Umaga wasnt too bad a switch from the wing...and Nonu was a wing wasnt he?

So it can be done and he has the attributes...but maybe its something that should be looked at club level first...

If we do select George North to play in midfield, it would make it even more obvious (and I didn't think it was possible) that we're going to be crashing it up the middle all the livelong day.

With regard to Manu Tuilagi, England make much better use of him than we do of Jamie Roberts, because they often use him as a decoy. You know, the element of surprise, like a Welsh forward actually running onto the ball.

I think George North is more than a crash-ball type of player but I get your point.
He could be very effective at 13 as he has pace , can offload and tackle, but primarely you need to have quick ball from the 9/10 to make it work.

We haven't got the sense to use North as a decoy, likewise as we haven't had the sense to use Roberts.

As for Tuilagi England now seem to be getting the best out of him which is obvioulsy good for England bad for the rest.

moving north to centre is like robinson moving lamont to centre

enjoy

Luckless, you mean they've used Manu as a decoy in one game? All through the summer we used Roberts as a decoy (probably in part down to him carrying an injury). So that aside the backs still need more variables to their attack. They need to start over and it's evident they need to learn the basics like passing and draw 'n' give.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Umaga wasnt too bad a switch from the wing...and Nonu was a wing wasnt he?

As was Mortlock too when his pace dropped a bit

North, as opposed to Cuthbert, does have the required skill set to move infield. Before that happens we need an out and out fullback so Halfpenny can move back to the wing. North is still too inexperienced to come off the wing, another season or two maybe.

Weren't Umaga and Nonu only serving their apprenticeships on the wing before their inevitable move to centre?

I remember in 99 the ABs had potentially the greatest backline of all time, but half of them were out of position: Cullen was at 13, Umaga on the wing and Jeff Wilson at full back. Switch them around and it's frightening.

No Umaga was a winger for the hurricanes and broke through to the ABs on the left wing.

Switched to midfield later on and developed into a fantastic outside centre.

I do kind of see where this idea is coming from (particularly in the absence of Roberts), even though I am rarely a fan of playing players out of position.

Not sure that North is ready yet to play in the centre at international level (mainly I'd be worried about his defensive positioning until he has more experience of the position at region level), but I do think that Wales looked rather one-dimensional on Saturday with the two big wingers looking to take the ball into contact.

I think 1/2p is a more dangerous runner from the wing than FB (from where he kicked too often on Saturday), and he would give more balance to the team in actually having someone who could come into the line and beat a defender with some footwork rather than just power and size - OK, he isn't the second coming of Shane, but he does offer something different to the 'Land of the Giants' three-quarter line that Wales are currently picking (and failing to win with). One way of facilitating this would be to move North in to centre and picking a fullback.

I do though get the impression that Wales are missing JD2 and a bit of ball-carrying grunt from the pack.

JD like Lydiate have proved their worth by the omissions through injury. I have also said that JD is the key element in our back line and not Roberts.

bedfordwelsh wrote:JD like Lydiate have proved their worth by the omissions through injury. I have also said that JD is the key element in our back line and not Roberts.

It may have something to do with the players that replaced them, this next game we have a back 5 that outplayed Ireland in the 6N in the second half with the same captain.

It would be a bit of a step up... 13 is the toughest position to defend, it's not just about how good he would be in attack its whether he would be a liability I defence. Not simply just someone who can tackle.

Personally I think it could be a mistake... He's a winger, that his position, perhaps I'm wrong but he has never taken me to be a multi skilled umaga, Ashley-cooper type player.

If he goes out there and does badly it could impact his confidence and his gameplay... And you don't want that leading up to NZ and AUS.

George at 13? NO-deffo not-end of.

By the time Umaga moved into the Centres he had proven himself to have a massive workrate as a winger, tackling, hitting rucks and supporting runners. He was a fairly established All Black as a winger but championed the move himself as he worried about his slowing down a bit.

Nonu got moved to 12 based on his potential line breaking ability but compared to Umaga was severly lacking in many areas in his game. It took a long time for him to cement his place in the team. I feel he wouldn't have been given the chances he has had if we had had a decent 12 at the time. We didn't so he did.
I don't know North well enough to know which to compare him to.

nganboy wrote:By the time Umaga moved into the Centres he had proven himself to have a massive workrate as a winger, tackling, hitting rucks and supporting runners. He was a fairly established All Black as a winger but championed the move himself as he worried about his slowing down a bit.

Nonu got moved to 12 based on his potential line breaking ability but compared to Umaga was severly lacking in many areas in his game. It took a long time for him to cement his place in the team. I feel he wouldn't have been given the chances he has had if we had had a decent 12 at the time. We didn't so he did.
I don't know North well enough to know which to compare him to.

He also had the advantage of playing centre in Rugby league before he converted to union.