Hassler excited to face "hybrid" North

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Ospreys wing Jeff Hassler said “it will be fun” to take on Northampton Saints star George North again when the two face off this week.

Ospreys wing Jeff Hassler said “it will be fun” to take on Northampton Saints finisher George North again when the two face off at Franklin’s Gardens.

This will be the third time in a year the Canadian wing has gone toe-to-toe with the former Scarlet.

And when the PRO12 Dream Team representative was asked who is the toughest opponent he has faced to date, his answer was clearly an easy one as he looks ahead to the Champions Cup clash.

“That would be George North, because he is such a hybrid,” he told the South Wales Evening Post before explaining what the Lions wing offers.

“He’s a big, strong guy who also has quick feet, so it’s easy to find yourself flat-footed and thinking he might go over you when instead he comes up with gas on the outside. It will be fun to face him again.”

23-year-old Hassler is one of the success stories of the PRO12 since joining the Ospreys largely raw to professional rugby after impressing on the IRB World Sevens Series. He is averaging over one try every two games at the Welsh region this season and admits he is a lot more confident with ball in hand after having settled into life at the Liberty Stadium.

“I think my understanding of the game has improved,” he added.

“It’s not just stuff that you do with the ball. It’s also the work-rate every winger needs to have off the ball. I’ve had to do a lot of work on my positioning and I think that’s got better as well.”