Discarded Dan Biggar vows to force his way back into Wales reckoning

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2011/08/30/discarded-dan-biggar-vows-to-force-his-way-back-into-wales-reckoning-91466-29324287/

DAN BIGGAR has promised to take a leaf out of Rhys Priestland’s book and force his way back into the Wales reckoning.

Wales head to the World Cup this week and for Ospreys outside-half Biggar it is clearly a painful case of what might have been.

Seven months ago Biggar was named in Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad – and the 21-year-old had good reason to be happy with his lot.

The Ospreys were challenging on domestic and European fronts and there was a World Cup on the horizon.

But instead of focusing on a tournament opener against South Africa in Wellington on September 11, Biggar is preparing for Leinster at the Liberty Stadium.

The newly-named RaboDirect Pro 12 competition is hardly the stuff of childhood dreams but, for Biggar, Friday’s game could just as well be the first of his senior career.

“I’m going to be more attacking, bring players into the game and try to get boys over in the corner for tries,” promised Biggar, who has been criticised in the past for his over-reliance on a kicking game.

“I’m not saying there’s a major issue with my game – and people have to understand there’s got to be a balancing act between running and kicking – but I’m looking to be as attacking as I can this season.

“The aim is to get our exciting players in try-scoring positions.”

So how does this shift in approach fit into his talks with the Wales management following his omission from the pre-World Cup training squad.

Have Gatland and company told Biggar what he needs to do to muscle his way back into a post-World Cup battle for the No.10 shirt that is unlikely to feature the veteran Stephen Jones?

“I’ve had a brief discussion with the Wales management and they’ve made some points,” he said. “But I’m in a pretty good place at the minute and I feel quite sharp coming off the back of pre-season.

“I’m looking forward to putting things into games because there’s only so much you can do in training, you want to get out there and test yourself.

“There’s two ways of doing it when you are overlooked for selection. You can either sulk away and beat yourself up or push yourself and make yourself a better player.

“I’ve chosen the latter and I think that’s the best way to do it. I’ve worked as hard as I possibly could and hopefully that will show on the pitch.”

It seems a little while now since Biggar was hailed as the next prototype from the Welsh outside-half factory.

Nearly three years since his debut in a November victory over Canada at the Millennium Stadium, he has managed to collect only three more caps.

All have come against lesser nations in the form of Canada, the United States and Samoa (though the South Sea Islanders might have something to say about that in New Zealand next month) with Gatland yet to trust him in a Six Nations game.

Jones and James Hook, his former regional teammate whom he pushed into the No.12 role at the Ospreys, were always ahead of him.

But now Priestland’s dramatic rise has pushed him further down the pecking order.

Yet there is not a trace of jealousy in Biggar’s voice when Priestland’s name is mentioned, only determination to use the impact of his Scarlets rival as motivation to force his way back into the Test frame.

“Rhys has been superb in the last year,” he said.

“He has played well but it hasn’t surprised me in the slightest because Rhys is a good player.

“He had a very good back end to last season and I’m pleased for him because a lot of people wrote him off.

“He’s three or four years older than me and it shows that time is on my side.

“I’m not saying I’m going to do it, but I’ve still got the possibility of playing in three more World Cups and it’s up to me to work doubly hard to get back into the frame.

“I’ve got no complaints or qualms about not being selected because the boys who are there are there on merit.

“But I’m certainly not going to lie down and accept that I’m never going to get a cap again.”

Biggar’s much-discussed confident manner has often been used as a stick to beat him, especially when the Ospreys have fallen short of expectations with him driving the show at No.10.

But he doesn’t apologise for the way he is and he admits that won’t change in the coming months and years.

“You’re not allowed to be confident these days, are you?” he smiled.

“But if you’re in the southern hemisphere you’re brought up to be confident.

“Yes, I’m confident in my ability. Whether that ability comes off all the time... of course not.

“Players do have bad games – and No.10s do tend to get criticism in Wales – but then everyone has a bad day at work now and then.

“You know your career’s not going to be plain sailing all the time. It’s how you ride the bad times that is important.”

Some pundits have predicted tough times lie ahead for the Ospreys this term with the departure of so many high-profile players.

Hook, Mike Phillips, Lee Byrne, Jerry Collins, Craig Mitchell and Marty Holah have all flown the Ospreys’ nest with the region determined to foster home-grown talent.

Hook’s move to Perpignan has been seen by some as helping Biggar, who does not celebrate his 22nd birthday until October, develop at his own pace.

But he said: “James going is not a monkey off my back as I’m not the one picking the team, that’s somebody else’s decision.

“I never gave too much time to people talking about James playing at 10 here.

“People have got their opinions and that’s up to them.

“Maybe a bit of pressure is off us this year because so many good players have left the region. But I loved playing alongside Hooky and it’s disappointing to lose him because he’s such a quality player.

“The good thing is that though we’ve lost players there’s still a lot of talent at the region.

“Hopefully we can have a good start, push on from there and maybe defy a few critics.”

You can bet Dan Biggar will also be trying to do that on a personal note.

l Dan Biggar was speaking at the announcement to rename the Liberty Stadium’s North Stand the Croeso Stand as part of a Visit Wales initiative.

Nice interview, it's encouraging that he wants to try and play a more attacking game. Hopefully this is the start of him growing up and not being so petchulant. I think he still has a long way to go, after seeing his tantrum when throwing his kicking tee away from Kevin Morgan in the Russia game after missing the conversion. But he does have talent, hopefully the Ospreys fans will get off his back and let him settle now.

Good for him, his such a nice laid back lad!!!!!

Alyn just summed it up with the kicking tee scenario and if the guys temperament remains the same then his overall game will not improve at all. A friend of mine used to say when we were playing that the 3 T's philosophy still holds in the sporting arena and that is:

Talent
Technique
Temperament

The first 2 are of little use if the 3rd is lacking and its a good template to assess players - For example, Rhys Priestland because of his Temperament im my opinion is making the most of the other areas whereas someone like Henson who is blessed in 1 and very good at 2 is bereft at 3

Biggar was always going to be there or there abouts next season and I am sure he will be pushing the likes of Priestland, Tovey Hook and possibly Jones still for Welsh recognition.

I do still think he needs to tone it down a bit of the field and let his playing do the talking but he will get his fair share of Welsh caps in the coming years.

I would have been surprised if he had said that he was retiring from international rugby at the age of 21 (or however old he is)

Dan is a very talented young man. Unfortunately for him , the coaching he's had at the Liberty has been ... 1. totally lacking in helping him improve

2. despite warning shots to the Ospreys from the Welsh coaches as to what they want, Ospreys insist his game is as it should be.

3 same scenario as Hook, he never developed his game management at the Ospreys, Dan's management is better than Hooks was at his age by a mile, but will they develop him?

and people think that Henson is disliked in the Welsh squad, I have it on good authority that Biggar is the biggest ego in the squad and none of them want to share a room with the little jumped up so and so on tour.

To be honest that was a bit of a slow news day story. Dan Biggar says that he will try to play his best for the Ospreys in order to cep more welsh caps. Shock horror.


Ruby - Priestland is very much a confidence player and it is quite possible that the press could over-pressure him during the RWC. But fingers crossed he will manage to avoid getting to much stick from them.

tovey has twice the quality of biggar, i can see him really falling further behind in the ecking order this season an dperhaps even losing his regional place to mathew morgan

I like Dan Biggars attitude personally, even when he came across as a bit of a Holly Wilaboobie. Hes right about the SH players, they breathe confidence, whereas its almost a cardinal sin for a NH player to back themselves, unless they're BOD of course.

I'm the same age as Dan, and I dont know anyone my age who isn't an absolute Holly Wilaboobie.

GavinDragon wrote:tovey has twice the quality of biggar, i can see him really falling further behind in the ecking order this season an dperhaps even losing his regional place to mathew morgan

Fully agree gavin and hope he gets his chance this season.

If the Ospreys parachute Morgan in over Biggar after letting Hook go cos Biggar was at 10 then someone really needs shooting down there.

Pathetic !! nobody wants to share a room with Biggar, no wonder Welsh rugby is in a mess!! we wont play with henson, we dont like biggar, can you see any of the coaches and sh teams putting up with this infantile behaviour !!!

At 21 he's got a good lot of experience and being left out could be exactly what he needed. As an international he often threw passes without looking at the defence and sometimes without looking at his own players. He's spoken to some players disgracefully on the pitch so i'm not surprised he's got a bad rep off the pitch as well.

With the changes at the O's maybe/hopefully he'll be coached into a better 10. Not allowing Hook to compete with him at 10 stunted his development but luckily he has time to address that now. At the moment i can never see him setting the world alight and will always be a squad international at best (a la Ceri Sweeny). Tovey and Priestland seem to have a much more rounded game and dont appear to have the attitude issues and if Hook has the same improvements that Stephen Jones had during his spell in France it'll be playing for the bench anyway.

I love how Dragons fans get so passionate about Tovey. I don't think either Tovey or Biggar are near the level they need to get into the Welsh squad. not saying they don't have the potential but a lot of work to do. Biggar started out ok for Wales. God knows what happened. That game against Fiji was awful

'I don't think either Tovey or Biggar are near the level they need to get into the Welsh squad'

totally agree with you, but the differenc between biggar and toey is that while both can control a game in terms of their kicking out of hand, tovey can (and under edwards will) play heads up rugby and has the ability to take the ball flat and fix the defence before shipping it or making a run himself.....biggar can kick and kick only......als his defence is suspect....

and as for wales id wager tovey to get a cap by the end of the season

Interviews are fine but its what he does that counts and being at a dysfunctional club won't help. IMO Priesland and Tovey have more talent, but good luck to him.