The former Wales wing is now out in Provence playing Pro D2 rugby, but has taken a look back on his international career
Wales legend George North has revealed his love for former coach Shaun Edwards — describing him as the best he’s ever worked under — and revealed the unique and ruthless motivational tactics the ex-defence guru used to get the best out of his players.
Now playing in France with second-tier side Provence, North was interviewed by former international team-mate Dan Biggar as part of a candid catch-up on life after Welsh rugby. And while North touched on his love for life in France and the challenges of adapting to a new rugby culture, it was his memories of working under Edwards with Wales that stand front and centre in his mind.
North, who earned 121 caps for Wales and four for the British and Irish Lions, recalled Edwards’ notorious “Wall of Shame” – a blunt post-match review pinned up for all to see. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
“The nicest one I ever had was just empty, ‘No comment’,” North smiled, during the interview on The Rugby Pod. “That only happened a couple of times!”
Recalling one stinging piece of feedback from Edwards, he laughed: “I had one I remember. It said, ‘Do you know what you’re doing? Do you listen?’ I’d not done what he wanted, or I’d not listened!”
Biggar chipped in with his own memory after one particular match, adding: “We had come down and next to your name was ‘Not international standard – sort it!’”
But behind the brutal honesty was a coach who, North said, cared deeply and commanded total respect.
“The best coach I’ve been under is Shaun Edwards. Hands down,” North said. “If I said it was love and holding my hand, I’d be lying. He got the best out of me.”
North described Edwards as “obsessed” with preparation and detail — especially in defence — but praised his humility in owning mistakes when things went wrong.
“Each week he’d have extras based on who we were playing – like at Murrayfield, he was big on dead balls, so we’d spend all week chasing hundreds of them.
“Little things like that. The thing I think is incredible about Shaun – everyone at this level is accountable – but he would be the first to put his hand up and say ‘I didn’t prepare you right’.
“He would give you all the tools, ride you like a banshee to be the best you could be, but if they brought something to the table you weren’t prepared for he would be the first to put his hand up. That’s something I really admired about Shaun.”
North also recalled the relentless energy and volume Edwards brought to training, especially for back-three players, whom he held to the highest standards.
“He was unreal. His defensive plan was black and white – you had your role and by God, he held you to it.
“If I was on the other side of the pitch and it wasn’t even my fault, he’d still be shouting at me! I can still hear him now shouting, ‘Get up, you’re never injured!’”
Despite the hard edge, North said Edwards always stayed in touch and was “one of the nicest blokes”, adding: “He still sends me a message.”
North also spoke about his move to Provence, where he has settled into life in the south of France with his wife Becky and their two young sons.
“The lifestyle is brilliant,” he said. “The boys want to be outside all the time — on their bikes, in the skate parks, the swimming pool. It’s amazing for that.”
He admitted adapting to French rugby has taken time, going from a highly structured environment in Wales to a more free-flowing, unpredictable style.
“Some of it was next level, other bits were nuts,” he said. “But I found a bit of a groove by the end of the season.”
Reflecting on his career’s toughest moments, North pointed to injuries that robbed him of potential Lions appearances in 2017 and 2021.
“2017 Lions was tough,” he said about the hamstring injury which saw him flown home prematurely after two Tests. “That’s the only place you want to be and I just didn’t get a chance. My hamstring ripped and it took a fair while to absorb that.
“Between 2013 and 2015 I just wasn’t hissing, just getting marked. That was when social media kicked in and everyone was telling everyone everything. I found that really tough. It wasn’t through not trying – it was maybe over-trying.
“But injuries are the worst. In 2021 I felt I was playing really good rugby at that time and the Lions tour to South Africa (was coming up) and I ruptured my ACL.
“I thought I had a fair crack of the whip to be on that tour so that sits with me.
“The injuries, the ACL, the injury with the Lions in 2021, not that I would have been picked, I should ask Gats (Warren Gatland). But they are the ones I found hard because there’s nothing you can do about it.
“With form or social media, you can do something about it – but injuries is the pits for me.”
