When Wayne Pivac took over from Warren Gatland a little under a year ago, right at the top of his list of priorities should have been a question.
"How do I get the best out of George North?"
In recent times, the 28-year-old will have felt that he hasn't been as involved in matches as he would have liked, but that's not to say his tangible influence on the team has waned.
Perceptions of the winger are clouded by images of him scoring two tries on his debut against Bryan Habana, busting through the Irish defence in 2012 and tearing up pitches in Australia in 2013.
But consider this. North scored 21 tries in his first 50 Test matches and he's scored exactly the same in his last 49 matches.
Because he announced himself to the world in such blockbusting fashion, more will always be expected of him.
If he made 40 metres, why didn't he make 50? If he beat three defenders, why not four? If he scored a try, why didn't he do it with Israel Folau on his back?
Rightly or wrongly, he's held to a different standard because he was so successful so early in his career.
And so to the present day.
Less than a year into the new regime and North has been dropped. What's more, Pivac has described it as an "easy" decision to make.
In the nine years Gatland worked with North, he scarcely left the winger out of his Wales side unless injury dictated, despite facing strong calls to do so at various points.
'Confidence' became a buzzword and relentless encouragement was the tactic, rather than sterner treatment.
Pivac has, very quickly, opted to go a different route and has challenged North in a different way. It's a bold call.
North made 40 metres with four carries during Wales' turgid defeat to France in Paris. The only Welsh player to make more ground was full-back Leigh Halfpenny.
The response to that statistic should have been to conjure up more ways of getting his hands on the ball, not removing him from the equation altogether.
Wales lacked power, momentum and front-foot ball at the Stade de France. Yet they had a 109kg freight train on the wing.
In the 65th minute of the match, Wales had a lineout on France's 10 metre line. North was lurking behind Biggar, yet the comparatively diminutive Nick Tompkins was sent charging up the middle.
It made little sense.
North's size, power and footwork makes a him a phenomenal attacking asset. Wales should be building their entire attacking gameplan around putting the ball in his hands as often as possible, not putting him in the stands.
Whenever North gets up to around 15 carries per game, he usually crosses the whitewash and even if he doesn't, the attention he attracts from defenders creates space for others.
He must accept some responsibility for not getting his hands on the ball more - although the claim that he never leaves his wing is often exaggerated - but the coaching staff must also find ways of using him more effectively.
Pivac is fortunate to have so much quality in the back three, with two British and Irish Lions and another in waiting starting the match on Saturday.
There will be few complaints about the quality of that trio and the selection of Liam Williams obviously has its merits given his skill in the air and the weather expected in Llanelli this weekend.
But the Wales boss asserted that North lacked sharpness and form in Paris having had two months off following the red card he was shown in August.
It's going to be tough for him to rediscover those attributes watching from afar when Wales take on Scotland.
North needs to be more involved in games and the responsibility for that lies with the coaches as much as the man himself.
