by Michael McCann

George North has praised teammates James Hook and Jamie Roberts for helping him adjust to playing outside centre for Wales.

The winger will continue in his new role due to an injury crisis on Saturday, when Wales face South Africa in the quarter-finals.

North impressed partnering Roberts when playing outside centre for the first time in the Pool A defeat against Australia last weekend.

The 23 year-old credited the help given by Hook and Roberts, who have over 150 Wales caps between them, for his success in adapting his game.

He told the Star: “Roberts and Hook have helped me a lot. I’m quite fresh in that position on the international stage but learning and taking experience from them does make my job a little easier.

“I have played centre before so I am happy to play there but obviously I am there because of the injuries we have suffered.

“It’s slightly more difficult to learn that position but I am happy to play there and step up when needed.”

North expects South Africa to be difficult quarter-final opponents after recovering well from a shock early defeat to Japan, acknowledging Wales’s defeat to Australia has left them with a more difficult route.

“South Africa started a bit slowly. That result against Japan obviously put a rocket up them and now they are coming back and showing their true class.

“We obviously have a harder route now come Saturday.”

The defeat to Australia also showed Wales that they need to improve in attack after failing to score a try, despite two yellow cards for the Wallabies, something that North conceded.

“I think we need to be more accurate and clinical to take our chances. During that block where we were in their 22 with two extra men, we should have scored. We left a few tries out there.”