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Dan Biggar reveals what he told Owen Farrell: 'He made it personal'

Dan Biggar of Wales is restrained as he reacts after Owen Farrell of England (not pictured) high tackles Taine Basham of Wales (not pictured) during the Summer International match between England and Wales at Twickenham Stadium on August 12, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Wales standoff Dan Biggar has Dan Biggar revealed what he told Owen Farrell in the ‘heat of the moment’ amidst the card-flying chaos in Twickenham during his side’s clash with England.

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Six cards were doled out by referee Nika Amashukeli in what was drama filled if scrappy Rugby World Cup warm-up. Most notable among them was a red card for Farrell, which now threatens to limit his participation in the pool stages of the competition.

Biggar and Farrell could be seen getting into it after the Englishman’s reckless challenge on Taine Basham, which ultimately lead to him being permanently sent from the field after a bunker review upgraded it to a red eight minutes later.

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Biggar has revealed what he said to his British & Irish Lions teammate in his Daily Mail column:

“I’ve got no issue with Owen – we’ve been team-mates with the Lions – but he made it personal by coming at me in the second half at Twickenham,” wrote Biggar. ” ‘Stop complaining,’ was what Farrell said in my direction, just after he’d hit Taine Basham high. I thought it was a clear red card and was just airing my view.

“I told Farrell that people are allowed to have a go at him. He’s not above everyone else. Owen is such a competitive guy, just like I am, and it was a heat-of-the-moment incident.”

However, Biggar said the World Cup in France would ‘be poorer’ if Farrell – who he ‘really likes’ – is forced to spend time on the sidelines due to the likelihood of his receiving a ban.

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Owen Farrell Dan Biggar
Owen Farrell and Dan Biggar exchange pleasantries – PA

Biggar also refused to write England off as Rugby World Cup ‘challengers’.

“Are England World Cup challengers? It’s hard to say after two games but they’ve been under the radar. You’d say they’ve got a bit of work to do, similar to ourselves, to be chucked out as challengers right now. But if you ask me that in four weeks, it could be a completely different answer.”

Farrell will face a Six Nations disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. The mid-range sanction for a dangerous tackle is six games and given he received a three-match ban for the same offence in January, on top of five matches in 2020 and two in 2016, it is doubtful he will be treated leniently by the disciplinary process.

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Fixtures against Ireland and Fiji complete England’s warm-up schedule for the World Cup before their group campaign is launched with a pivotal group clash with Argentina in Marseille on September 9. Steve Borthwick now faces the likely prospect of being without his skipper and talisman for the toughest opponents in Pool D, while his participation against Japan, Chile and Samoa are also in question.

You can read the full column HERE.

 

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Thomas 461 days ago

Biggar is not a "standoff", as he's never played league. Biggar is a rugby union player, therefore a fly-half.
Now Owen Farrell, he could be described as a "standoff", among other unflattering epithets.

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JWH 31 minutes ago
France outwrestle All Blacks in titanic Test for one-point win

I agree re-Barrett, he would be an excellent 6. Vaai he called him the squads Terminator! No use in shutting out other specialist 6s though like Frizell and Finau.


I don't think the Saders want Darry tbh, already have so much locking talent in Strange, Cahill, Hannah, and Barrett, with Gallagher returning after a spell at the Canes.


As for your ideas on SRP, I was thinking more expansion into the islands. Why just a Fijian team? Why not a Samoan and Tongan team as well? I think adding Japan could be cool, since they are in roughly the same timezone so not much jet lag. Only issue is that their seasons are reversed! Same with USA.


I think the best option is to keep to ourselves, with AUS, NZ, SAM, FIJ, and TNG. 5 teams for Australia (Brumbies, Reds, Tahs, Force, Rebels), 5 for NZ (Saders, Canes, Blues, Chiefs, Landers), and 4 for the PIs (Moana Pasifika, Drua, Tongan team, Samoan team).


If we expand into the PIs, we cut off a source of talent and entertainment from the Northern competitions like Top 14, and open a whole new market of people. Increase advertisment in Japan as well, since their in the same timezone, and we could be on track for a very good competition.


Plus, we would get gamedays like in America, one game queued up after another. Makes it a whole lot easier if you can just flick on the telly and BOOM theres the games. No need to plan out when things are, just get your mates around, flick it on in the background and chill with a cold beverage.

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