North returns to club in bid to prove fitness for Wales

He was subsequently left out of the Welsh team for Saturday's encounter in Cardiff. “He hasn’t had a lot of rugby, he definitely needs some rugby, so it was a little bit disappointing that he didn’t get some time on the field. But his hamstrings were a little bit tight after a quality week of training,” Gatland told a news conference. North has made just two replacement appearances since October because of a knee injury. “He didn’t train with us on Monday because he was still recovering. He’s going to be released back to Northampton to get a game this weekend to hopefully put him in contention for a place against England,” added Gatland. Northampton play Harlequins on Friday in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. Wales play England in their second Six Nations match on Feb. 10.