Dan Biggar says Wales have been overlooked as Six Nations contenders
‘Everyone has written us off’: Dan Biggar says Wales have been unfairly overlooked as Six Nations contenders – despite the defending champions heading to Dublin with EIGHT key players missing
- Dan Biggar says Wales are prepared to face Ireland in their Six Nations opener
- Wales will be without eight key players as they look to retain their Championship
- Alun Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, George North and Justin Tipuric are all injured
- 32-year-old Biggar will captain Wales at the Six Nations starting on Saturday
Wales have been dismissed as Six Nations contenders but with the words of Olympic legend Usain Bolt ringing in their ears, Wayne Pivac’s side believe they can cause a big Dublin upset.
The defending champions have the odds stacked against them against Ireland today and bookmakers have those in red as long as 7-1 to win.
Such a market reflects the fact Wales are without eight injured British and Irish Lions.
Wales fly-half Dan Biggar says that Wales are constantly overlooked despite amazing record
Wales are the defending champions of the tournament after their success in 2021
There is a big doubt over whether the players who are able to start have the necessary form and fitness to excel at Test level against an Ireland side who had a fine autumn.
If we are honest, the bookies are probably right. And yet…
Wales have a habit of proving people wrong and, in their new captain Dan Biggar, they have a leader who plans on transmitting the competitive instinct which has made him a lion to his team.
On Monday, Wales stepped away from the noise of being written off for some much-needed downtime. Biggar, who will become the 140th captain of Wales at the Aviva Stadium, said: ‘Whenever we win two games in a row, Paul Stridgeon, our head of physical performance, does a funny video taking the mick out of the lads and he presents the “Bobby Cup” to a player.
‘He gets a celebrity to announce who the winner is and on Monday night we had Usain Bolt. He did a pre-recorded message for Taine Basham. It was a bit of a thrill for the lads.
32-year-old Biggar will captain Wales at the upcoming Six Nations starting this weekend
‘We are in really good spirits and it was a nice distraction. We always start as fourth or fifth favourites in the Six Nations and it has been the same for the last 10 years. But I think people forget that in those 10 years, we have been the most successful team, winning it four times and Ireland and England winning it three.’
Biggar is not wrong. Wales’s Championship record is superb but the big question is whether the country’s next generation can cope in the heat of a Six Nations battle.
With iconic captain Alun Wyn Jones and his fellow Lions Ken Owens, George North and Justin Tipuric — among others — on the treatment table, Biggar is stepping in as Wales’s galvanising force.
It is no surprise then that with the ultimate competitor as their leader, Wales do not plan on holding back.
Ken Owens (L) and Alun Wyn Jones (R) are just two of the players missing from Wales’ squad
‘There is no doubt we are missing a lot of key men, but the bottom line is we have known we were going to be without these boys for quite a while now,’ Biggar said.
‘We are going to try to get on the front foot and take the game to Ireland. What I want to try to do in my approach is give off confidence. I want my belief to rub off on my team.
‘I want to make sure the lads who are playing in their first Six Nations believe they are good enough. When you are stepping into the unknown, you are not quite sure what is coming and that “no fear” approach sometimes stands you in really good stead. Even the senior boys get a bit nervous but these young lads have nothing to fear. I’m sure their excitement will rub off on us.’
Wales have young talent in the shape of promising back-row Basham.
Their back line looks threatening, too, with Josh Adams making his first Test start in midfield. But for all that, there remains a feeling Wales will struggle to deal with Ireland’s power game. There has not been a Welsh Six Nations victory in Dublin since 2012.
Biggar will become the 140th man to captain Wales on Saturday against Ireland
Even when they were at their best under Warren Gatland, Wales struggled to win after travelling across the Irish Sea.
Basham’s flanker partner Ellis Jenkins, who is ready for his first Six Nations start, said: ‘Everyone has written us off. We can talk all day about how good Ireland have been in the last couple of campaigns but all that matters is how good they are this weekend and how good we are.
‘Form doesn’t count for a lot when it comes to Test match rugby. It’s a challenge for us to win the game but we have spoken about winning the Championship again. That’s why we play.’
Another problem for Wales is that all but three of Pivac’s starting side play for Welsh regions who have seen several of their games in the build-up to the Championship cancelled due to Covid. Whether they are ready for Test match rugby after such an interrupted period remains to be seen.
Ireland centre Garry Ringrose has reiterated that ‘silverware is unbelievably important’
Andy Farrell’s Ireland, who had a fine autumn by beating New Zealand again, should win tomorrow, especially with poor conditions likely to suit their monstrously physical forwards.
Ireland centre Garry Ringrose said: ‘Silverware is unbelievably important. It was cool to be involved in some of those November results but it’s about trying to be better at any opportunity we get.’
Ireland’s side is bolstered by 11 Leinster players and it will be a huge shock if Wales go back to Cardiff with any form of positive result.
‘It’s exciting for us to test ourselves against the form team in the northern hemisphere,’ Biggar said. ‘We have a huge amount of respect for Ireland, how well they are playing and how good their form is club wise and internationally. But we don’t want to stand off and be intimated.
‘We want to get stuck into them from the word go.’
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