Dan Biggar backs Wales to bounce-back against Scotland on Saturday
‘The pressure is all on them. They’re red-hot favourites’: Dan Biggar backs his Wales side to bounce-back from their loss to Ireland, as they prepare to face in-form Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday
- Wales face Scotland as underdogs in their six nations clash on Saturday
- It comes after they were beaten convincingly 10-34 by Ireland last weekend
- Dan Biggar has insisted ‘al the pressure is on Scotland’ ahead of the game
Dan Biggar lit the fuse on the second round of the Six Nations as the Wales fly-half heaped the pressure on Scotland and poked fun at their lack of silverware.
Warren Gatland’s Wales will take to the field at Murrayfield on Saturday knowing victory is essential if they are to keep their 2023 Championship hopes alive.
Scotland are firm favourites after Calcutta Cup victory over England at Twickenham, but they’ve never won their first two Six Nations games.
Last year, Scotland also started with a win against England before being beaten by Wales in Cardiff.
Biggar is looking to lead a Welsh repeat trick.
Wales fly-half Dan Biggar has insisted ‘all the pressure is on Scotland’ ahead of their clash on Saturday’
He also points out that his side’s record was ‘as good as anyone’s in the past 10 years
Warren Gatland’s side started the Six Nations poorly with a 10-34 loss to Ireland
‘Scotland played well last week against England,’ he said. ‘According to you guys (the media) they are the best team around. We’ll have to see how they go on Saturday and see if they can back it up.
‘The pressure is all on them. They’re red-hot favourites, the best team in the tournament, so we’ll see how they go. We don’t seem to get any credit and other teams seem to get a lot of praise for probably not quite the success we’ve had, but that’s how it goes.’
Wales were blown away by Ireland last weekend in what was Gatland’s first game back as head coach. But they are the most successful side in the history of the Six Nations – if you add the number of titles, grand slams and triple crowns together – with 16.
Scotland have never won the Six Nations, as Biggar was keen to point out.
‘Our record is as good as anyone’s in this competition over the previous 10 years,’ he said.
‘Medals are important when you look back at your career and we’ve been lucky enough to fill the cabinet a few times. It’s up to other teams to try and replicate that.
‘In Wales, you lose a game and you get slagged off. You win, and it is just brushed over.
‘We do have a bit of a laugh there are other teams around who get a fair bit of praise without really backing it up. Scotland are a brilliant team at the minute.
Scotland won their first match against England thanks to two tries from Duhan van der Merwe (right)
‘I’m sure at some point they will be looking to turn the victories they have had in this tournament into something a little bit more than previous years. They’ll fancy their chances and they will be full of confidence. But it was the same last year. We got off to a really slow start in Ireland and then played Scotland and you guys (the media) wrote us off. We rolled our sleeves up and did a job.
‘We’re hoping that will be the same this weekend. If you listen to everyone we might as well have not bothered catching the flight.’
Gatland has never lost to Scotland as Wales head coach. For the 2023 meeting between the two sides, he has opted for youthful exuberance over grizzled Test experience.
Young forwards Dafydd Jenkins, Christ Tshiunza, Tommy Reffell and Jac Morgan all start in the pack with veterans Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric dropped completely. Jones and Tipuric haven’t even travelled to Scotland. Taulupe Faletau moves to the bench, with Morgan – who is more commonly used on the flank – replacing him at No 8.
Gatland has urged his young guns to take a huge opportunity to impress.
Gatland has never lost to Scotland in his two spells as Wales’ Head Coach
After retaking the Wales job, Gatland has a problem on his hands. The vast majority of his squad is the wrong side of 30. He does have young talent at his fingertips, but they lack experience with the World Cup later this year on the horizon. That is why Gatland believes Jenkins, Tshiunza, Reffell and Morgan – plus centre Joe Hawkins – must learn the international ropes in this Six Nations.
That quintet of rookies has just 17 caps between them and an average age of only 21. ‘It wasn’t hard at all,’ said Gatland of his decision to drop Jones and Tipuric.
‘There has been no knee-jerk reaction because this has been part of the plan right from day one.’
Gatland has ripped up his Wales team for Scotland, but the hosts have made just one change from the team which beat England with Zander Fagerson returning at prop.
Wales’ front five struggled badly for yardage against Ireland as Gatland’s side delivered an awful first-half display to lose 34-10. Their rookie forwards have a big job on their hands to stand up against a powerful Scottish eight. There must be a big Wales improvement in the front five and also the taking of the chances presented to them.
Wales will be firm underdogs for Saturday’s clash with Scotland despite their excellent Six Nations history
Even with Biggar’s bravado, Wales are underdogs.
‘I can’t wait to read the comments on this,’ said Biggar with a smile as he departed media duties having dropped the sort of bombs which are now unfortunately all too infrequent ahead of big Tests.
Biggar and Wales have done their talking off the pitch. Now it is time to deliver on it.
‘We’ve freshened things up in the pack and they are deserving of their chance because they have been performing well at club level,’ Wales captain Ken Owens said of his team’s next generation.
‘We are on a bit of a journey. There is a wider picture and there has been a bit of soul searching, but we are confident we can bounce back and right the wrongs of last week.’
SCOTLAND V WALES PREVIEW
Scotland: Hogg; Steyn, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, White; Schoeman, Turner, Z Fagerson; R Gray, Gilchrist; Ritchie (capt), Crosbie, M Fagerson
Replacements: Brown, Bhatti, Nel, J Gray, Dempsey, Horne, Kinghorn, Harris
Wales: L Williams; Adams, North, Hawkins, Dyer; Biggar, T Williams; Jones, Owens (capt), Lewis, Jenkins, Beard, Tshiunza, Reffell, Morgan
Replacements: Baldwin, Carre, Brown, Davies, Faletau, Webb, Patchell, Cuthbert
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Kick-off: 4.45pm Saturday
TV: BBC 1
Six Nations honours league table (Titles, grand slams, triple crowns):
Wales: 15
England: 14
Ireland: 12
France: 10
Scotland: 0
Italy: 0
Key Scotland vs Wales head-to-heads
Jamie Ritchie vs Christ Tshiunza
Exeter rookie Tshiunza, 21, makes his first Wales start at Murrayfield. He is an athletic player of huge promise and has Premiership and European experience with the Chiefs. However, the Six Nations is a big step-up and Scotland captain Ritchie is a fearsome opponent for him to deal with.
Finn Russell vs Dan Biggar
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has played down suggestions of Russell as a ‘maverick’ but the Scotland No 10 is a wonderful player. His opposite number Biggar is a different sort of playmaker but expect a big performance from him after his spiky pre-match comments.
Richie Gray vs Dafydd Jenkins
Another promising Exeter man in Jenkins gets a Wales chance and he fills the enormous boots of the great Alun Wyn Jones. Jenkins is only 20, but he has already captained his club in the Premiership and he looks ready made to make the step up to international level. Gray, 33, is at the other end of the career spectrum and will hope experience counts.
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