Wales beat Barbarians as North signs off in style
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Wales edged Barbarians 33-31 at Allianz Stadium in 32C (90F) heat, with Dan Edwards scoring twice and tries also from Kieran Hardy, Reuben Morgan-Williams, and Ellis Mee.
- George North delivered a fairy-tale farewell, scoring twice as a second-half replacement for Barbarians — his first try came on his opening touch — before converting Santiago Arata's last-gasp score with what the report notes was likely his final kick in rugby.
- Wales coach Tandy was without 12 English and French-based players because the fixture fell outside World Rugby's official window, restricting selection to the four domestic regions ahead of the Nations Championship opener against Fiji next week.
- Barbarians fielded 19 internationals from 11 countries, captained by double World Cup-winning Springbok scrum-half Faf de Klerk, with Vincent Koch and Munster centre Alex Nankivell also crossing.
- Wales recorded successive wins for the first time since the 2023 World Cup, building on their Six Nations victory over Italy in March.
- Attendance was sparse — under 20,000 in the 82,000-capacity Allianz Stadium with the top two tiers closed, partly because the women's double-header was staged in south-west London and Cardiff's Principality Stadium hosted Metallica.
Why it matters: With 12 English and French-based players unavailable, Wales used this uncapped hit-out to give game time to regional players and build momentum ahead of a Nations Championship that includes Fiji at home plus trips to Argentina and South Africa — while North, on 121 caps and 47 Wales tries, bowed out as a Barbarian rather than in Welsh red.
Ask SkimNews
