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Northampton’s Dan Biggar has emerged as an injury doubt for next weekend’s Wales versus South Africa clash in Cardiff after the out-half exited Saturday’s East Midlands Gallagher Premiership derby versus Leicester at the interval. The 32-year-old was Warren Gatland’s first-choice No10 in the recent Lions Test series against the Springboks.
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Unavailable to feature for Wales against the All Blacks this Saturday due to the match falling outside the World Rugby window governing player release, Biggar was instead on duty for Northampton in their high profile English league game against leaders Leicester.
The expectation was that despite missing the All Blacks match, Biggar would arrive in to Wales camp next week to take back the No10 jersey from the fit-again Gareth Anscombe and resume the rivalry he had with Handre Pollard over the course of the three-game Lions versus Springboks series.
Dan Biggar | All Access | Why the Autumn Series is the most brutal in rugby
We were lucky enough to speak with Dan Biggar on All Access with Jim Hamilton in association with Amazon Prime this week. Wales is set to embark on a tough Autumn Nations Series against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
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However, Biggar, who missed two first-half kicks from the tee for a Northampton team that fell 27-0 in arrears after just 33 minutes, didn’t make it back out the Franklin’s Gardens tunnel for the second half due to an unspecified knock.
BT Sport were broadcasting the match live on TV and it was their commentator Alistair Ekeyn who reported that Biggar hadn’t reappeared for the second half. “We have lost a Lion in amongst all the Tigers – we have lost Dan Biggar who has had to go off looking distinctly uncomfortable so he has been replaced by James Grayson at fly-half,” he said.
"He could see it was a young lad hurting after a pretty tough performance…"
– The pep talk Dan Biggar gave to Fin Smith, a rookie 13 years his junior, after last week's Gardens mauling #Warriors #NORvWOR #GallagherPrem #England #Wales @worcswarriorshttps://t.co/LU4kfj8lee
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 30, 2021
“If you know that that man is admitting defeat here this afternoon you know that he is in some pain. Frustration for Northampton and also for Wales, of course, who play New Zealand later but they have a hefty campaign in the autumn featuring South Africa, Fiji and Australia. Gareth Anscombe will do a fine job no doubt on his return from that horrendous injury that has kept him out for so long.”
Having watched Leicester register a four-try bonus point in just over half an hour, Northampton managed to hit back with a try before Biggar’s unfortunate exit. They went on to start the second half well with Grayson now on but while they managed to register a try bonus point, ultimately they had too much to do and they lost 26-55 in a contest where George Ford was voted man of the match.
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Jonathan Thomas has been weighing up how Dan Biggar as a teenager compares to Fin Smith, the 19-year-old Worcester rookie#Warriors #NORvWOR #GallagherPrem #England #Waleshttps://t.co/tMDwsnSFqO
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 28, 2021
