Biggar tells his players to take confidence from South Africa series
‘I don’t think anybody could have predicted it’: Wales captain Dan Biggar encourages his team-mates to take confidence from ‘hugely positive’ South Africa series going into the World Cup
- South Africa defeated Wales in the third and final Test to win the series 2-1
- The series had been level at 1-1 after Wales’ dramatic win in Bloemfontein
- Last Friday’s 13-12 win was the first ever on South African soil for Wales
- Wales captain Dan Biggar encouraged his players to maintain their standards
Dan Biggar urged his Wales side to hit the standards they’ve set in South Africa on a regular basis going into a World Cup season and not regress to the paucity of their Six Nations displays.
At the start of the year, Wayne Pivac’s side could only beat Scotland of their European rivals and lost at home to Italy for the first time.
It meant that a three-Test tour of South Africa this summer was even more daunting than usual.
Wales picked up their first ever win in South Africa under Dan Biggar’s captaincy
But against the odds, Pivac and Biggar and his men responded.
A series win might have eluded them, but Wales did taste victory on Springbok soil for the first time by winning in Bloemfontein. That famous success came after a narrow first Test loss.
The Cape Town decider was a step too far for Wales as they were outpowered by Jacques Nienaber’s hosts who claimed the series 2-1. Still, there were plenty of Welsh positives to take.
‘It will always be disappointing to lose at the end, but to get a win over here is a huge tick. Overall, it’s been a hugely positive tour,’ said Wales captain Biggar.
South Africa took the series 2-1, but it was still an important performance for Wales
‘From where we came from in the Six Nations I don’t think anybody could have predicted how it went. We fell a little bit short after a long season, but we’ve said this is the standard we need to get to now, not the Six Nations where we fell off a little bit.
‘When we’re on our holidays in the next few weeks we’ll look back on this tour with fond memories.’
Wales’ win in the second Test was a moment of rugby history for them and they should also have claimed victory in the first, only to lose to the last kick of the game.
The three matches showed that with continuity in selection and their best players available, Wales can trouble the world’s best. South Africa, the reigning world champions, were pushed all the way.
Head coach Pivac also learned Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell is a player of true Test quality.
Wales’ 30-14 loss in Cape Town also showed promising signs of a revival for George North who is still working back to his best after a year out with a serious knee injury.
Reffell scored Wales’ only try in the third Test as South Africa’s forwards eventually got on top.
It was a relief for their head coach Nienaber ahead of the Rugby Championship. He had been heavily criticised after making 14 changes for the second Test which Wales won. Biggar and Co will now rest up ahead of the start of the new season.
The Welsh captain encouraged his side to gain confidence from the series despite the result
‘We didn’t start particularly well and South Africa had a lot of possession and momentum and got out to a lead. They are a difficult team to peg back,’ Biggar said.
‘We moved the ball well. South Africa strangled the game a little bit and credit to them for that. It felt like we spent a lot of time in our own half. It was a difficult start and difficult last 20.’
South African tries at the DHL Stadium and on an appalling surface which was not acceptable for Test rugby came from Handre Pollard, Bongi Mbonambi and captain Siya Kolisi.
‘When we get together in the autumn, we will be a year out from the World Cup and we need to build on this,’ said Pivac. ‘The positives outweigh the negatives.’
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