The 2019 Guinness Six Nations is now in the books and Wales wing George North continues his climb up the try-scoring charts in Rugby’s Greatest Championship.
The Ospreys star bagged a double during their opening win over France in Paris, taking his career tally to 19 in the Six Nations.
Still only 26, North now sits fourth overall in the history books, just three behind his compatriot Shane Williams who is third.
Second is Scotland’s Ian Smith who crossed 24 times in the Five Nations era and top is, of course, the great Brian O’Driscoll who dotted down 26 times for Ireland in the Championship.
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In bagging a double against France, North moved past a Welsh legend in Sir Gareth Edwards, who scored 18 tries, as well as leapfrogging Rory Underwood and Cyril Lowe of England.
Any other player looking to crack the overall top ten needs to get to 16 tries so North remains the only active star challenging at the sharp end.
Keith Earls and Stuart Hogg are within striking distance however.
Hogg’s try against Italy on the opening weekend took his career Six Nations tally to 12 and it was only injury against Ireland in Round Two that prevented him climbing still higher.
Keith Earls is also up to 12 after three scores in this year’s campaign for Ireland – the Munster winger crossing against Scotland, Italy and France.
But Earls’ compatriot Jacob Stockdale might be the more likely man to trouble North and the record-breakers at the top of the standings.
The Ulster winger broke the Six Nations record with seven tries last year winning the Grand Slam – his maiden campaign in the green of Ireland.
And the 22-year-old added two more this year, crossing against both Scotland and Italy, to move to nine overall.
A word too for Jonny May who had never scored a try in the Guinness Six Nations before last year.
But since then the Leicester Tiger has been on red-hot form, bagging four in the 2018 Championship and then exceeding that tally this year.
He ended the 2019 Championship as the top try scorer with six, including a first-half hat-trick against France and scores against Ireland, Scotland and Italy.
That means he now has ten career tries in the Six Nations, all of which have come in his last nine appearances.
Yoann Huget impressed with four tries this year, taking his career tally in the Championship to seven but still has a way to go to catch the top Frenchmen Philippe Sella and Serge Blanco on 14 apiece.
And Jack Nowell’s score on Super Saturday against Scotland means the Exeter Chief has now crossed nine times in Rugby’s Greatest Championship.
