Relief for Wales as Biggar is ‘on track’ to face England
Wayne Pivac expects Dan Biggar to be fit for Wales’s Six Nations trip to face England at Twickenham on Saturday. The British and Irish Lions outside-half has bounced back from a knee complaint far more quickly than expected.
When Biggar was helped from the field by Northampton physios after 20 minutes of the match against Saracens on Saturday, it seemed unlikely he would be available this weekend, when Wales will be desperate to avoid losing three successive championship matches for the first time in 13 years.
The 30-year-old has become yet more crucial to his country because of the long-term injuries to Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell.
A smiling Sam Warburton, Pivac’s assistant, had a positive prognosis to report at their Vale of Glamorgan training camp yesterday. The former Lions captain is part of the set-up as the breakdown specialist, but instead he was reporting on a recovery.
“Dan’s looking good,” Warburton said. “He doesn’t need a scan. He’s going to train and do stuff with the physios, but every day so far the feedback has been good. He’s had a really good response to the stages of physio and is ticking all the boxes he needs to. He’s on a good course so, hopefully, with no hiccups, we’ll have some good news. At this stage, we’re confident.”
Warburton mentioned that Wales would be prepared to hang on until Friday morning for Biggar to prove his fitness, although it is understood that the side will still be named on schedule tomorrow with Biggar at No 10. That would be a huge relief to the overwhelming majority of Welsh fans, despite the big reputation of Jarrod Evans, who is waiting in reserve.
If Biggar does not make it, Evans, 23, would step up from the replacements and become the first Welshman to make his first Six Nations start at Twickenham since Iestyn Harris in 2002, when England prevailed 50-10.
Sam Davies would then presumably be called up to the bench. The Dragons fly-half has been training with Wales the past few days, but such is the confidence in Biggar that Davies has not even been officially included in the squad yet.
Warburton, speaking in his first press conference since joining the Wales management staff in November, also revealed that wing George North had passed all of the concussion protocols since sustaining a head injury in the defeat by France two weeks ago and that Liam Williams and Josh Navidi had taken part in full training and were up for selection as well.
With Josh Adams out of the tournament with a hamstring injury, Williams is being primed immediately to step into the back three, despite not having played since the World Cup four months ago.
“Some players will need a hit out or two before they feel like they can come back and play international rugby, but Liam will be confident that he can [come straight back],” Warburton said. “If you just watch training and you had to spot one of the British and Irish Lions … well, Liam, he’s just one of those guys. This is the sort of cauldron he would love to be thrown into. It will be great to have some big-game players back.”
It must be doubtful that Navidi will be in the XV, particularly with Ross Moriarty having played so well on the blindside against France alongside Taulupe Faletau and Justin Tipuric. But the all-action Cardiff Blue could be challenging for a place in the match-day 23.
“We do a pretty demanding drill with Byron [Hayward, the defence coach] and Josh turned up and absolutely nailed it,” Warburton said. “I saw it and thought, ‘he’s ready’. From a coaching and backrow perspective, that physicality, that dynamism, that ball-carrying ability, that work on the floor – Josh has been a big player for us in the past few years.”
Warburton won twice at Twickenham during his playing career and said: “I can’t wait to get on that bus.” He plainly expects a reaction after the defeats by Ireland and France that have effectively caused Wales to concede their title prematurely.
“People who say Twickenham has a bad atmosphere have not been there,” Warburton continued. “It’s brilliant, particularly when the Welsh fans are there and it becomes a competition of who can be the loudest.
“We have had two weeks to wait for it and it has felt like a really long two weeks.”