‘Try life outside goldfish bowl’

DAN Biggar has advised more Welsh players to sample life beyond regional rugby — because “Wales is such a goldfish bowl”.

The 62-cap fly-half has linked with Northampton Saints after more than a decade at the Ospreys. He has relished the close season so far and made a successful playing start with his new club when coming off the bench in Saturday’s 26-13 win over the Ospreys.

And later Biggar revealed how much he is enjoying being free of the attention that tends to be the lot of leading players in Wales and especially the national No. 10.

“It’s been a really good start and I think I’d advise a lot more players to sort of test themselves outside Wales as well because Wales is such a goldfish bowl,” he told the BBC.

The Welsh Rugby Union’s senior player selection policy means not every Welsh player could follow Biggar’s lead without consequences.

Under rules introduced last year, only those with 60 or more Welsh caps can continue playing for Wales if they take up a professional contract outside the regional game.

The 62-cap Biggar avoided being captured but his ex-Ospreys teammate Rhys Webb fell foul of the ruling and has seen his Test career halted at the age of 29 after a switch to Toulon.

So circumstances are different in each case, a point Biggar readily accepts, adding: “My situation is I’ve got enough caps to play outside Wales and be considered for selection.

“Boys have got to decide what’s more important to them, but, for me, I’ve really enjoyed taking that plunge outside Wales.

“I had 11 great years here (at the Ospreys), but I think the time was right for me to move and it couldn’t have worked out any better in terms of how everyone’s welcomed me: the club has been brilliant, the boys have been brilliant.”

Biggar scored 2,203 points for the Ospreys in 221 games, his haul including 28 tries.