North lays down Wales marker as Toomua stars for Tigers
George North staked his claim for a Wales starting place by sparking a second-half revival as Northampton beat London Irish 25-17 in the English Premiership on Saturday. The bottom-of-the-table Exiles looked on course for just their second league win of the season as two tries from wing Alex Lewington helped give them a 14-3 half-time lead at Franklin's Gardens. But the home side hit back with three tries in 10 minutes after the break as powerhouse Wales flyer North, Rob Horne and Mike Haywood all crossed before a drop-goal by Piers Francis sealed Northampton's victory. Defeat left London Irish a huge 16 points adrift of second-bottom Worcester and with only the basement club due to be relegated at the end of the season, the Exiles' fate is close to being sealed. North has yet to start a Six Nations game this season but the wing will hope this display is enough to gain a place in national coach Warren Gatland's run-on XV when Wales resume their Championship campaign away to Ireland in Dublin on February 24. "George is a fantastic player," said interim Northampton head coach Alan Dickens. "It's sometimes difficult for internationals to go away and come back during the Six Nations. We've had it in the past and it's tough mentally for them, but George did really well today." London Irish's loss was was made worse for the Exiles by Worcester's 25-15 win against Gloucester. - Exiles' 'big ask' - They have now not won in the league since beating Harlequins on the opening day of the season but London Irish director of rugby Nick Kennedy was in defiant mood. "Until it's mathematically over, it's not over," he said. "We'll lick our wounds and do all we can to win our game against Worcester next weekend. "But it's a big ask for us now." Meanwhile Worcester boss Alan Solomons told his side to prepare for a "mammoth game" against London Irish. "What we can control are the games we play," said Solomons after a win where Worcester scored three tries in the opening 20 minutes courtesy of scrum-half Jonny Arr, fly-half Jamie Shilcock and Wales wing Josh Adams, with fullback Chris Pennell kicking two conversions and two penalties. "It does put us in a better position, but we know we are going to have a mammoth game next weekend," added the South African. - 'Test quality No 10' Toomua - Saturday's other match saw Australia's Matt Toomua score 23 points, including a fine try, as Leicester beat Harlequins 33-18. In the absence of England star George Ford, not playing ahead of the champions' Six Nations clash away to Scotland next weekend, former Wallaby international Toomua move from inside centre to fly-half for the first time this season. "It's not that difficult for him to move into the number 10 (fly-half) role, he's played a lot of his rugby at that position and is a Test quality 10," said Leicester coach Matt O'Connor of the 31-times capped Toomua, who effectively ruled himself out of playing for Australia at the 2019 World Cup by extending his original three-year deal with the Tigers in November as the Wallabies will only select overseas-based players if they have 60 Tests behind them. "For him to play at first receiver when you haven't done it much, he was probably the difference between the sides today and he gave us a little more thrust and potency," added O'Connor of Toomua, the husband of Australia women's cricket star Ellyse Perry.
