I felt like getting a flight home on last tour when Haskell was called up! But I loved spending time with him. That’s beauty of the Lions
Our new columnist Dan Biggar can’t wait for the tour, and his chance to stake a claim for the job at No10
PASSPORT: check. Playing cards: check. Talking teddy bear that says, ‘I miss you, daddy’: check. The bags are packed and Dan Biggar is ready to go. This morning, he will kiss goodbye to his wife Alex and their three-year-old son James, who together will wave him off at Cardiff airport. He will board a charter flight with the other Welshmen in Warren Gatland’s Lions squad, bound for Jersey to begin their two-month mission.
‘Saying goodbye to the little one is the bit I find quite tough,’ said Biggar. ‘He’s growing up quickly but he doesn’t really understand why I go away.
‘In some ways I’m fortunate that I’m in the latter stages of my career because I won’t have many more long spells away from my family. I’m 31, so I’ve got a couple more years in me — and a couple more career goals.’
Biggar isn’t the type to keep lists but he reels off his ambitions to win a trophy with Northampton, reach 100 caps for Wales and be part of the Lions Test team in a series victory over the Springboks.
He sips from a bottle of coke as he talks through his goals at his local pub in Northampton where the drinks, courtesy of the awe-struck landlord, are on the house.
‘These next few weeks, I hope, will be the pinnacle of my career. Winning a series against the world champions in their own back yard would be a pretty special thing to add to your CV.
‘I’m eight caps away from playing 100 Tests for Wales, so that’s a big goal of mine. A lot of the Welsh boys joke about getting sacked off in the 90s. It happened to Mike Phillips, Martyn Williams, Adam Jones. The boys call it the nervous nineties. I’d love to get to 100 caps and if I’m still in the mix for the World Cup then happy days.
‘If some of those things don’t happen, I won’t beat myself up about it. I don’t put as much pressure on myself as I used to. I’ve come to realise how lucky I am, with a nice home, an amazing job and a beautiful family. If I don’t play well, I’ve got the biggest comfort to come home to in being a dad. That’s what matters the most.’
TODAY, all Biggar needs to worry about is his short-haul luggage. The bulk of his kit is already waiting in Jersey. The squad got together two weeks ago for their fitting day, before all of their apparel was shipped straight to the island training base. The day was an opportunity to meet new team-mates and catch up with a few familiar ones from the 2017 tour of New Zealand.
‘Four years ago that kit day felt a bit like my first day at school. This time I knew a lot more of the lads. Gats was there, taking the mick as usual, calling me ‘Cash’! The story was that I moved to Northampton for a pay rise, so the lads will use every bit of ammunition to take the p***, whether it’s true or not!
‘It felt a bit like a reunion seeing the guys from New Zealand — Jamie George, Elliot Daly. Everyone talks about the rivalry between Wales and England but these tours totally change your perceptions. In 2017, I was thinking about booking a flight home when I heard James Haskell had been given a late call-up, but I absolutely loved spending time with him. I spent as much time with the English lads as anyone. ‘ Obviously we had the Test team and the midweek team, but there were no egos in the group. I was part of the midweek team and we had some great times together. It didn’t take long for the story to come up about George Kruis losing a £1,500 game of credit-card roulette on a weeknight in Wellington! That group of us watched the Test matches from the stands, which wasn’t the easiest, so I suppose that’s all part of the memory that drives me.
‘This feels a little bit different to four years ago. Back then, I kind of accepted that I wasn’t part of the Test team. I was up against Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton, who were both at their peak. I wouldn’t say I was just happy to be there, but I was up against some serious players and I saw it all as a really good experience.
‘This time, for me, is about grafting and getting into the Test team. I feel like a better player now than I was four years ago, mainly because of my move to Northampton, so my expectations of myself are different, too.’
Biggar will go head to head with Finn Russell and Farrell for the flyhalf berth this time. Sexton was one of the notable absentees when Gatland named his 36-man squad last month, with Biggar travelling out today as the favourite to wear the iconic No 10 jersey.
‘I’m looking forward to working with the other 10s. Obviously Owen has been there and done it and can play 10 or 12. Myself and Owen are probably similar, while Finn brings something different. His big point
We all know what’s coming, big Boks who will be looking to squeeze you
of difference is that you never know what you’re going to get. He can break up a game and produce a bit of magic. He probably looks at things quite differently to myself and Owen, so it will be good to bounce a few ideas around.
‘Last time, I picked up so much from Johnny Sexton. Johnny sent me a really nice message on the day of the squad announcement after he missed out, which says a lot about his character. He said “Congratulations, all the best and target a Test spot”. That meant a lot.’
While private messages of congratulations have been flooding in, the Lions players’ WhatsApp group is still waiting to come to life.
‘The group was set up a few weeks ago but nobody’s posted anything yet. Gemma Crowley, who’s in charge of operations stuff, set it up. Once people get a bit more comfortable, I’m sure there will be all sorts flying around.
‘It’ll be interesting to see who is the first person to break rank. My bet is Liam Williams — he’s already appointed himself head of entertainment! As soon as Love Island starts he’ll be assembling all the guys in the team room at 9pm for a compulsory watch. The techy analyst boys find a dodgy site to stream .’
The touring squad will use every means possible to keep morale high during the weeks away from their families, in a tight Covid bubble. Activities outside the team hotel will be limited, so the group must work hard to build bonds. ‘The special thing about the Lions is that you have a bunch of guys from different countries coming together and all pulling in the same direction. ‘Everyone wants to get in the Test 23 but, if you don’t, then we all share the same goal — to beat the Springboks. ‘ We know what’s coming — a strong set piece, strong kicking game and big guys who will look to squeeze you. Physically, there’s no bigger challenge. If you match them physically, you’ll be in with a shout.
‘They play so much off nine, running hard to gain momentum, so there’s a lot of tackling to be done. Sometimes it’s a case of close your eyes and hope for the best. They’re big, big men. You need players with a lot of character and bravery.
‘The magnitude of it will kick in when we get out there. Rugby careers are funny. You look at everything in the moment.
‘Sitting here in Northampton, I’ll talk about the Saints and how much it would mean to win things with them. I’ve always been jealous of other players winning things with their clubs and we haven’t managed that yet.
‘But if you take a step back and look at the opportunity we’ve got in South Africa, it doesn’t get much better than that, does it?’
Read Dan Biggar’s columns during the Lions tour exclusively in The Mail on Sunday