British and Irish Lions 2025: George North’s iconic tackle on Israel Folau
Twelve years long, not just in sports.
June 2025 and George North apply yoga in the winter sun in the shadow of the story bridge on the northern bank of the Brisbane River.
“Probably the most Australian thing I’ve ever done,” he says, the former Wales wing player.
The calm scene is the world away from the vibrating energy of the moment in 2013, when the North entered the British and Irish Lions folklore.
No, in the first test, not the 60-meter solo trial-as bright as fondness.
60 minutes of the second test in Melbourne. North collected a leg pass from Brian O’driscoll and faced Israel Folau, a similar 6FT 4in and 17 stones -length wings.
Apparently, North, hugged by Folau’s struggle, decides to pump his legs and collects his opposite number before using the Australian wing player – now behind the North – before using an improvised human beating coach. Wallabies was overthrown like Skittles.
“To be honest, it’s a bit stupid,” North remembers it. “Not my best idea,” he adds.
The iconic moments came to define the 137 -year history of the lions. JPR or Jeremy Guscott’s drop goals, Robert Jones, Nick Farr-Jones, Sir Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer’s team speech, Matt Dawson’s pumic, O’driscoll’s knife-city trial attempt, the list continues.
The moment of the North occurred in the second test, the lions disappeared from a single point were almost forgotten. In 2013, the 2-1 series against Australia came to describe his victory.
When North meets Lions fans, as in the last 10 -day working holiday in Australia, he reveals something they want to talk about.
“Probably Izzy is carrying Folau, or he says. “And then starts to try and the excitement and drama brought by the test series. [in 2013] It was incredibly special as a player, but it was incredible as a fan.
“I never thought that I could play for the lions, for me to play for your country, let’s do the greatest honor and twice round tour, I never thought I would be in a lion.
“But then to say that people have an effect that you remember, an iconic moment does not put a smile on my face.”
