IF IT’S FLAIR WE WANT, IT MIGHT BE THE TIME TO DROP BIGGAR
WARREN Gatland has consistently stated in recent months that he wants Wales to play a more expansive and wider attacking game.
Well actions speak louder than words.
If Gatland and his backs guru Rob Howley really are genuine about the more creative approach they talk about, then the key to the game-plan is picking a fly-half with flair.
Unfortunately, whatever other strengths he may have, Dan Biggar does not fit that bill.
Whilst it would be churlish to write off Biggar, because he is such a fierce competitor and big personality, in my view his presence at No. 10 is putting the brakes on the Wales team.
Things were so promising at the start of the Six Nations when Rhys Patchell got the backline going to such marvellous effect that Wales scored a four-try bonus point for the first time in the tournament.
Gareth Anscombe (circled) also demonstrated his creative ability in the closing quarter against England at Twickenham.
Yet the first moment he could, Gatland reverted to his default setting and recalled Biggar against Ireland. It was supposedly to help deal with an aerial threat, rather than focusing upon the many positive things Patchell or Anscombe could bring to Wales’ game.
Given the more expansive Scarlets-style approach Wales are meant to be adopting, it was a retrograde step in the eyes of many.
Picking Biggar sent out the wrong signal. Wales went backwards, in performance and selection of personnel.
In the remaining matches against Italy and France, Gatland must give Anscombe and Rhys Patchell their head.
Sam Davies, if he can consistently hit top form, is another real talent who can give Wales what they need from 10 heading towards the World Cup, while youngsters Dan Jones (Scarlets) and Jarrod Evans (Blues) are up-and-comers to watch. Supporters of Biggar will rightly point out it was the failure of the pack that cost Wales most dearly in Dublin. However, that couldn’t hide the fact that Wales were still so menacing when forced to play catch-up rugby and chase the game. When he replaced Biggar, Anscombe challenged the gain-line, committed defenders and freed up space for the backs outside him. I hope Gatland and Howley learn the lesson because there is a bigger picture for them to consider moving forward, namely that Wales have to significantly improve their try count to become genuine challengers at Japan 2019. Gatland has repeatedly stated teams have to score 25-30 points to win at Test level, but Wales regularly came up short in 2017. Their try count was shocking, with only France and Italy having a worse record amongst rugby’s top nations. And for me that won’t change unless the fly-half changes. In their 11 fixtures last year, Wales crossed the whitewash just 20 times. New Zealand led the way with 67, followed by Australia (59), Ireland (45), South Africa (44), Scotland (41), England (37) and Argentina (29). Those figures speak volumes about the need for Wales to alter something significant. Biggar appeared in nine of those Tests. The pack have to win the ball, but the spark does have to come from your main playmaker.