I want to start, but I’m content with how things are, says Biggar
On two separate occasions, Warren Gatland turned to Dan Biggar when Wales’ Grand Slam hopes hanging by a thread.
The fightback had already begun on a sodden opening night in Paris, but the men in red were still down by two points when Biggar came on.
One of his first acts at the Stade de France was to boot them into the lead from over 40 metres and then help see the game out.
Three weeks later, Wales were trailing England by a point and again Gatland turned to his reliable pivot. Biggar had key roles in both tries, particularly the second, as Wales stormed to a 21-13 victory.
And he was in control for the majority of the Championship crescendo against Ireland.
But Biggar has started just two out of the eight Wales games he’s been involved in this season, with Gareth Anscombe chosen at 10 for the others.
As such, with Wales on a 14-game winning run, Biggar is in danger of being deemed a super-sub.
Yet while things are going well at the moment, his desire to pull on that No.10 jersey burns as bright as ever.
“I may get another five years out of my career if we carry on like this! It may work out well for me!” joked Biggar.
“But yeah, of course, there is no denying that (I want to start) but I’m really content with how things are.
“The most important thing is that the dynamics of the team seem to be working quite well at the moment.
“You want to play as much as you can and start every game, like everyone does, but I’m really content with how things are and really enjoying myself.”
Biggar’s one and only start in the Grand Slam march came in Italy.
After Anscombe’s struggles on opening night, it was viewed as a chance for the 70-cap pivot to reassert himself as Gatland’s first choice fly-half.
Wales made 10 changes for the game. They stuttered and stumbled to victory in Rome.
Caught in the middle of it all was Biggar, who perhaps was a little too keen to show what he could do and it resulted in an uncharacteristic performance.
By his own admission, things didn’t go well against Italy.
“I think we were disappointed as a team. We started well and then just let things slip, we stopped doing the basics well enough,” he candidly told WalesOnline.
“I won’t hide behind that, though, I was disappointed with my own performance.”
Biggar was back on the bench when Eddie Jones’ men came to the Principality Stadium in what most deemed to be the game that would decide the course of the Six Nations.
It’s testament to the 29-year-old that he was able to put the disappointment of Rome behind him and play a key role in round three before being right in the middle when Wales ground it out in Scotland.
Then, of course, came Ireland. An injury to George North meant Biggar was thrown on as early as the ninth minute to steer Wales to the Grand Slam, with Anscombe moving to fullback and Liam Williams pushed to the wing.
Biggar was back in the thick of a big occasion and he clearly relished it.
“In all the other games, it was nice to come on and make a contribution in big moments,” said Biggar, who joined fellow Premiership players from Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints for a coaching session on behalf of Land Rover at Market Harborough RFC.
“The important thing to mention here is that I thought Gareth (Anscombe) had a really solid tournament as well.
“At the moment, the combination that the coaches are going for is working.
“If I’d been coming on for five or ten minutes when the game was already won or lost, it would feel like I hadn’t contributed as much as I could have.
“But it has been really nice to come on and see games out or put us in a position to win games.
“It was nice to make a real contribution and add to the foundation that was provided in the first 50 minutes or so.”
Biggar made his Wales debut in 2008, was part of the successful 2013 Six Nations side, played at the 2013 Rugby World Cup and went on the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour.
The one thing missing from his resume was the Grand Slam, having not been involved in 2012.
He’s now able to add a Six Nations clean sweep to an already impressive resume and the occasion was made all the more special when he was able to share the celebrations with his baby son James and wife Alex.
“Winning the title in 2013 was special but it’s always nice to put something new on your CV,” he said.
“It will be really pleasing when I retire to look back on it. To win the title and have the medal in your house is special but the Grand Slam is that little bit more special.
“It was very special to have the little one out there. He seemed to be enjoying himself anyway!
“It was a really nice moment and hopefully there will be more occasions in the future when we can (win silverware and) have the family on the pitch.”
In the middle of the Championship, a bitter dispute between the Ospreys and the Welsh Rugby Union threatened to undermine Wales’ campaign.
The uncertainty that came with the collapse of the proposed merger between the Liberty Stadium outfit and the Scarlets threatened to distract a considerable portion of the Wales squad who stood to be affected.
It has since been confirmed that the Ospreys will continue for next season but Biggar admits it wasn’t nice to see his old team, for whom he played 221 times, in such a situation.
“It’s not nice. I obviously spent a lot of time at the region and I’ve still got a lot of close friends who are still there,” he said.
“It’s very difficult for me to comment on. I just hope everything sorts itself out because we’re in a really good spot as a national team and hopefully the regions can push on off the field.”
In the wake of what was Gatland’s final Six Nations in charge of Wales, speculation about his future has been rife.
With an unprecedented three Grand Slams to his name, Gatland has a proven ability to prepare sides for competition rugby and will have no trouble finding a job when he leaves Wales after the World Cup.
England and France have been linked but the adopted Welshman taking the main job across the Severn Bridge is unthinkable, isn’t it?
“It depends how much they’re offering to pay him!” laughed Biggar.
“Warren takes a lot of credit and rightly so because he’s done a really good job with us.
“But what he has done really well is surround himself with incredibly good people and he should be commended for that.
“It’s a real team effort. Everyone works their socks off behind the scenes.
“Warren has done a great job for Welsh rugby and nobody can deny that if you look at where Wales were when he came in compared to where we’ll hopefully be when he exits.
“Everyone is doing a really good job and hopefully the guys coming in next can have the same amount of success.”
The man taking over from Gatland is current Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac. Whatever success the incoming Wales boss is able to enjoy, you get the sense Biggar will be a key figure once again, whether he’s coming off the bench or taking control from the start.
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