Richards ran in four tries against England in the Triple Crown win over England in Cardiff on 12 April, 1969, the last of only nine championship hat-tricks until North exploded into action in Rome.
North picked up three tries in the space of 10 explosive minutes in the second half at Stadio Flamino to pick up Wales’ first Six Nations hat-trick in their 80th game in the 16 year-old tournament.
The first played to notch a hat-trick for Wales was wing Willie Llewellyn, who crossed the English try line four times at St Helen’s, Swansea, on his debut. Wales won 26-3, scoring six tries.
Newport wing forward Jehoida Hodges was the next player to grab a hat-trick in 1903, although his tries came while he was playing as an emergency wing. The Wales skipper Tom Pearson was injured after 25 minutes and Hodges moved out to the wing to replace him – and help himself to three tries in a 21-5 win over England in Swansea.
Cardiff wing Reggie Gibbs holds the record for the most hat-tricks in the Championship with three, against France in 1908 and 1910 and Scotland in 1911.
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| Year | Player | Tries | Opposition |
| 1899 | Willie Llewellyn | 4 | England |
| 1903 | Jehoida Hodges | 3 | England |
| 1907 | Johnny Williams        | 3 | Ireland |
| 1908 | Reggie Gibbs           | 4 | France |
| 1909 | Billy Trew | 3 | France |
| 1909 | Mel Baker | 3 | France |
| 1910 | Reggie Gibbs           | 3 | France |
| 1910 | Johnny Williams        | 3 | Ireland |
| 1911 | Reggie Gibbs           | 3 | Scotland |
| 1920 | Brin Williams | 3 | Ireland |
| 1969 | Maurice Richards | 4 | England |
| 2015 | George North | 3 | Italy |
