George North scores two tries in farewell as Wales edge Barbarians

George North scored twice in his final professional match and then landed the decisive late conversion as Wales edged the Barbarians 33-31 at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.

North came off the bench for the Barbarians and made his first touch count immediately, crossing within a minute against former teammates. He later finished again and, after Santiago Arata’s stoppage-time try, stepped up to add the conversion that left the scoreline tight at the end. The 34-year-old closed his career with 47 tries in 121 Wales appearances.

Kieran Hardy, Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams and Ellis Mee all scored for Wales, with Edwards also adding two tries and finishing on 14 points. Sam Costelow kicked two conversions in a match that stayed open throughout, while the Barbarians replied through Vincent Koch, Alex Nankivell and Arata. The Barbarians, who fielded 19 internationals from 11 different nations, kept Wales under pressure until the final play.

The fixture was uncapped and played outside World Rugby’s official international window, which meant Wales were selected only from the four domestic regions because players based in England and France were unavailable. About 20,000 spectators watched in an 82,000-capacity stadium with the top two tiers closed.

It was their second straight win, the first time they have won consecutive matches since the 2023 World Cup, and it followed the March victory over Italy that ended a three-year wait for a Six Nations success. Steve Tandy will name his Nations Championship squad early next week, with Wales opening against Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium before away trips to Argentina and South Africa.