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Biggar as a 19-year-old: 'Dan would lose his head quite often...'

(Photo by David Jones/PA Images via Getty Images)

Worcester boss Jonathan Thomas has compared his upcoming teenage out-half Fin Smith with the young Dan Biggar that he knew coming through at the Ospreys in Wales many years ago. Now 32, Biggar had Smith as his direct opponent last Friday night when Northampton hosted the Warriors at Franklin’s Gardens. 

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The evening didn’t go well for the visitors as Worcester were crushed 66-10 but Biggar showed his class in the aftermath, spending some time on the pitch post-game for a quick encouraging chat with Smith who endured a difficult time with his forwards on the back foot throughout.

A 19-year-old grandson of Tom Elliot, a 1955 Lions tourist from Scotland, Smith started this season on loan at Ampthill in the Championship after guiding England U20s to summer Six Nations glory, but he was recalled earlier this month by his parent club after Owen Williams suffered a serious hamstring injury.

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The match at Northampton was just Smith’s fifth-ever Premiership start for Worcester and while the result was painful, his coach Thomas, an ex-Wales back-rower, saw enough to be able to compare Smith with the younger version of Biggar that he encountered in the late noughties at the Ospreys.   

“It was quite ironic that Fin was playing against Dan because I was playing at the Ospreys when he came through at 18. There are some similarities but Fin is probably a little bit more composed as a 19-year-old than Dan was and I mean that in a nice way. Dan would lose his head quite often and be shouting at the forwards at half-time. He was a little bit more animated.

“But where there are a lot of similarities is both are very assertive and articulate for young men at the same age. Both have got a good all-round game at that age, a really good balance and the really good thing at nine and ten is you need leadership and the challenge for any young ten is to lead or drive a team when you are that age because naturally, you are playing with a lot of guys you have looked up to over the years. 

“That is always a challenge but it is something that comes quite naturally to Fin and certainly to Dan at the same age. It was quite ironic that they were on the field at the same time (last week). Fin had a really fine game in terms of when you are playing on the back foot it is a massive challenge for your backs and particularly your nine and ten, so you have got to be brave in those situations. 

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“If you are a 19-year-old No10 you know that most opposition coaches are talking about, ‘Let’s rough him up, let’s run over him’, and that is something that Fin deals with pretty well. Listen, there are areas of his game that he needs to work on and he knows that. He is pretty self-aware but that is an ongoing thing. It’s just about game time for young players and growing in the areas that you need to improve.”

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R
RedWarrior 15 minutes ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

1 Go to comments
G
GS 1 hour ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The key is realising this AB side is not what they are now but what they will be in 2025/26.


You can already see a Power bench forming, and I would highlight that people watch the AB XV game vs Munster and watch Fabian Holland - he, in the next 24 months, will be WC and bring some huge physicality to the team.


Then, aligned with Peter Lakai, probably at 7, another WC talent, the AB pack by 2026 will probably both be starting and on the bench - be rated as No 1 or 2 packs in the world.


Then, there is the usual WC talent around the backline, and the missing link is Mo'unga. Unlike in last year's WC, the coming forward pack for the ABs, is similar to the Bok pack, It will be packed full of power, and the key to this is a realitively young pack.


So I think we will lose to Ireland and France in the coming weeks, but watch out as this pack builds into - I mean, look at the tight five and loose forwards that are coming for the ABs - De Groot, Lomax, Williams, Tosi, Taylor, Ofa T, Samson T, Aumua, Patrick T, Barrett, Vai, Fabian H, Setiti, Lakai, Savea, Frizzell (understand they are attempting to get him and Mo'unga back), Blackadder, Papalii and bar Barrett, Savea, Patrick T, Taylor - pretty young in international terms.


Huge front row starting and on bench, Power locks and usual class in loose forwards - only missing ingredient is a WC 10 and with Mo'unga back probably in 2026, these ABs are trending in a very healthy direction.

89 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
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