I’m a different person on the field, says Biggar
DAN Biggar has opened up about his on-field persona that makes him one of the most talked and written about players in Welsh rugby.
He revealed a lot about himself in a fascinating interview for the April issue of Rugby World magazine lifting the lid on how he nearly joined an Aviva Premiership club aged just 17, the return of Gavin Henson to Welsh rugby next season with the Dragons and false allegations he sledged Johnny Sexton last month in Wales’ win over Ireland in the Six Nations Championship.
But it’s Biggar’s relationship with referees and back chat to officials that divides opinion most with Welsh rugby fans and he told the magazine: “I was a bit hyperactive as a child.
“I don’t think I slept through until I was three or four and I’ve always been talkative, but sometimes it’s only the persona you see on the field.
“Off it, I don’t like being the centre of attention.
“I’ve had a roller-coaster career and I’ve learned most from the lows.
“Sometimes it would have been easy to throw the towel in but I’ve stuck at it.
“You hear stories about players not being able to leave their front door after they’ve lost, but I don’t think you can do that. You have to get some perspective in this game.”
Reports have resurfaced in recent days of Biggar being linked with a move to Northampton Saints and the 56-times capped No.10 revealed a decade ago he nearly didn’t put pen to paper for the Ospreys after being handed a development deal.
“I had the chance to go to an English Premiership club at 17,” he said.
“The Ospreys offered me a development contract but I plucked up the courage to say ‘I’m not prepared to sign it unless it’s increased.
“The Ospreys owner Mike Cuddy, said: ‘How much do you want?’
“I came away feeling happy that the Ospreys valued me.”
And on the return of maverick Henson this summer on a two-year deal with the Newport Gwent Dragons, he added: “I’m thrilled to see Gavin Henson back in Welsh rugby.
“I played with him at the Ospreys and he’s a great bloke. He gets a lot of stick and hasn’t helped himself at times, but his knowledge of the game is second to none.
“To keep playing until 37 (Henson has signed a two-year deal with the Dragons) is some feat.”
And on his own future, he added: “Ask any player if they’d consider playing for another side and they’d be lying if they said no.
“I don’t want to look back and think ‘I’d love to have worked under X, Y or Z’.
“I have a wife and hopefully a family in time, but it’s not just about the money.
“Rugby in Wales is such a goldfish bowl and players who’ve lived outside have said how refreshing it is to go under the radar.”
With Sexton many people’s picks for fill the Lions shirt this summer, Biggar too has his backers to make the summer trip to New Zealand with former All Blacks scrum-half Justin Marshall pinpointing the duo as the best No.10s in the Six Nations.
Biggar, told the magazine: “For me Johnny Sexton is the best No.10 in the world. People argue about who the best fly-half in the game is and lots of people’s standard answer is Dan Carter.
“However, when you play a team with Sexton involved, you have to be switched on for 80 minutes. He’s a class act... and no, I didn’t sledge him and I have the text to prove it!