PHIL Dowson believes George Hendy is a wing unlike any other – because he has his legs on back to front.
The 21-year old Hendy came off the bench last weekend to seal victory for Northampton in the Champions Cup last 16 match against Munster at Franklin’s Gardens with two tries that showcased his pace, power and persistence.
“George is distinctive,” said Dowson, right, Northampton’s director of rugby. “He has a weird, rangy style and I cannot think of another player who is like him. As Mark Hopley (the club’s academy head) said, it is like he has his legs on back to front. You are not surprised to see him come through a melee of bodies. He has things to learn but he has his head screwed on and is thoroughly professional in his attitude.”
Hendy, who joined Northampton’s senior academy from Worcester in 2021, announced himself a couple of years ago when he scored a try against Saracens in the Premiership Cup after picking up the ball near his own line and weaving through tackles before putting in a sprint finish.
“I remember when I first spoke to him a couple of years ago,” recalled Dowson. “He was in his first year at the academy and was doing a stretching routine and talking about his preparation and the work he did in the evenings.
“I was immediately struck by how professional and conscientious he was, very forward thinking. The way he came out of our academy showed both how important it is to the club and how well they do it.
“He spent a lot of last season at Bedford and did well. The joy of that relationship is based on people like George learning his trade and playing every week and gaining in confidence.
“When I spoke to him at the start of this season after he had put in a couple of big performances, he had moved out of the academy house and in with Angus Scott-Young.
“He said how much of an impact that had had on him in training and with his diet and that was reflected in how he played. He then got injured but has come back hungry and powerful, working hard off the field to give himself opportunities.”
Dowson has a selection issue when all his back three players are fit. Hendy and James Ramm are comfortable playing on the wing or at full-backs, George Furbank is a 15 who can play at outside-half and Tommy Freeman has been used o
