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Wales provide latest Biggar injury update with quarter-finals looming
By Josh Raisey
Wales attack coach Alex King has labelled the injury that forced Dan Biggar from the field in the opening minutes of the match against Australia as only a “slight injury” and remains upbeat about the fly-half’s chances of making the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
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The Toulon No10 will miss out on Wales’ final match of Pool C this weekend against Georgia as he recovers from a pulled chest muscle, with Gareth Anscombe starting in his stead. With Wales already qualified for the quarter-finals after their record 40-6 win over Australia, this was always a change that might have been made regardless of whether the 33-year-old was fit or not.
After naming the squad to face Wales, King was fairly relaxed about Biggar’s injury and remains confident that he will bounce back for the knockout stages.
“He is just getting his recovery in after his slight injury,” he said. “He is in the recovery stage and it’s important he gets back ready for the quarter-final.”
After replacing Biggar in the first-half against the Wallabies, Anscombe went on to level Biggar’s World Cup record points haul for Wales, 23, so former fly-half King has plenty of faith in the back-up No10.
He said: “He was great after coming on after nine minutes. If something happens in the game it shows the guys on the bench have an important role to be ready to go straight away and even the guys who aren’t in the 23. If something happens between Monday and the weekend you have to know your role and be able to step in at a moment’s notice. The strength of this squad is the 33, it’s not just the 15 who start.”
Wales only need a losing bonus point against Georgia to top Pool C, but King made it quite clear they want to win the match, particularly after losing to them in Cardiff last year.
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“We want to win the game,” King said. “We want to carry on [what we have been doing] over the last four weeks. We understand the threat Georgia pose after meeting in Cardiff 11 months ago, the performance they put in against Fiji on the weekend.
“I know one of the coaches, he is a good friend of mine. They will be absolutely firing at the weekend that is for sure.”
It is likely Wales will then face one of Argentina or Japan in the quarter-finals, who are both level on points in Pool D and face each other on Sunday.
