Saints star North now in great shape, says Gatland

George North has been training 'incredibly' with Wales

North did not play again after being knocked unconscious by the knee of Nathan Hughes in the Aviva Premiership win against Wasps on March 27.

But the 23-year-old has been able to take a full part in Wales’ preparations for the Rugby World Cup, which begins with England’s game against Fiji on September 18.

And Gatland is confident North will be able to make a huge impact on the tournament, with Wales placed in Pool A, alongside the likes of England and Australia.

“George is good,” Gatland said, following his side’s return from a training camp in Qatar.

“We haven’t had a lot of contact work so obviously we knew he had a couple of knocks at the end of last season and it kept him out of rugby.

“We are conscious of that. He’s trained incredibly and looks in great shape at the moment like a lot of players.

“We are looking forward to what sort of impact he is going to have on this World Cup.”