IRELAND HEAD COACH Joe Schmidt expects the best of Welsh wing George North when the sides meet in Cardiff on Friday.
The powerful Northampton Saints star was named in an unchanged Welsh starting XV for the penultimate Six Nations clash despite many feeling he deserved to be dropped following the loss to Scotland last time out.
Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards made a half-hearted attempt to defend North’s performances early this week, and ended up pointing to the amount of scores Wales have conceded down North’s right wing:
“We’ve conceded tries on our edge, usually our right edge. One on the left side,” Edwards noted.
“They were individual mistakes because they didn’t do what they practiced in the build-up. They decided to do what they wanted and not what the rest of their team-mates expected them to do.”
Asked if the presence of the Lions wing could be capitalised on by Ireland’s attack, Schmidt was full of praise for North.
“If you’ve seen the size, the strength and the speed and agility of such a big man, why would you go looking for him?
“I know it doesn’t leave you a lot of options, because (Jonathan) Davies and Scott Williams are no shrinking violets either, and Liam Williams was an absolute superstar against New Zealand.
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