The Ospreys wing marked his 99th appearance for Wales with his 42nd try to spark the second half revival that set his side on their way to a 21-16 win over Ireland at Principality Stadium. It was the perfect way to start the 2021 Guinness Six Nations campaign.
“We think he’s going to make a very good centre. He’s obviously still learning the position, but on the evidence of the Ireland game it would suggest he’s learning pretty quickly,” said Pivac.
“I thought he defended well, took his scoring opportunity when it came and he’s only going to keep growing in that position I’m sure.
“He played on through a couple of injuries. He got a finger in the eye and lost a bit of sight there for a while, a bit of haziness through a scratch, and that is getting checked out.”
North has been used as a stop-gap centre by Wales in the past and is no stranger to the position at regional level. His first run out in midfield came against France in the 2014 Six Nations, when he scored a try in a 27-6 win in Cardiff.
He played alongside Jamie Roberts on that occasion and again in a 33-28 defeat to Australia later that year and at the 2015 World Cup. Roberts was once again his partner in a 15-6 defeat to the Wallabies.
In 2018 he was paired with Owen Watkin during the 22-20 triumph over South Africa in Washington DC and he has now started the last two matches under Pivac in the No 13 shirt – and scored a try in both games.
The first game was the Autumn Nations Cup play-off victory over Italy in Llanelli, but last weekend’s performance showed he might just be ready to move in off the wing more permanently. He made the most metres of any Welsh player, 87, and put in 10 tackles, missing only one.
Still only 28, he has plenty of years ahead of him to become as big a legend in the centre as he has become on the wing.
