George North scores twice in farewell as Wales edge Barbarians

George North ended his Wales career with two tries and the final conversion as Wales beat the Barbarians 33-31 at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. The 34-year-old, who announced his retirement from professional rugby in April, came off the bench and scored with his first touch.

The match was an uncapped fixture because it fell outside World Rugby’s official international window. Wales had 13 players unavailable because they were tied up with English and French clubs, yet Matt Sherratt’s side still held on after leading 14-5 at half-time and survived a late Barbarians push in front of a crowd at the 82,000-capacity stadium in south-west London.

North’s final Wales appearance closed a career that brought 121 caps and 47 tries, plus four Six Nations titles and two Grand Slams. He had first linked up with the Barbarians after South Africa’s match in Port Elizabeth, and this was his first appearance for the invitational side. The win gave Wales back-to-back victories for the first time since the 2023 World Cup.

Dan Edwards scored two tries and 14 points. The visitors, who fielded 19 internationals from 11 nations, found answers through Santiago Arata and others, but North’s second try on 71 minutes kept Wales ahead. He then added the final conversion after Arata’s late score, sealing the margin.

The fixture sat inside a men’s and women’s double-header, with the men’s game kicking off at 2pm and the women’s match following at 5pm. Under clear conditions and temperatures reaching 32C, the fixture unfolded at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.