Biggar: ‘It will take time’

Editor

Welshman Dan Biggar revealed that it will take some time to get over Wales' heartbreaking quarter-final loss to South Africa.

Wales lead for the majority of the tense match until Springbok captain Fourie Du Preez broke Welsh hearts with a try down the defenseless blindside in the 75th minute at Twickenham.

"In the next few days I'll probably reflect on the tournament and think it's gone okay for me personally, but the immediate feeling is that we've been knocked out of a World Cup quarter-final we were leading with five minutes to go," said Biggar.

"It's going to take a little bit of time to get over that.

"If we had taken one of those chances early on it might have been different, but we can look ourselves in the mirror and think that with everything that has gone on I don't think we could have given an awful lot more as a squad and a management team."

Biggar can afford to be proud of his performance at the World Cup, as he showed his ability off the kicking tee, sending 19 out of his 21 attempts sailing between the uprights.

He also impressed in the quarter-final clash, with his sublime chip and gather setting up Wales' solitary try of the match. Biggar also popped over a drop goal to give his team the lead on the stroke of half time.

Biggar thought it was fitting that the only difference between the two teams in the end was a quality offload from Springbok eighthman Duane Vermeulen.

"I thought our defence was outstanding, to limit a team of their calibre with forwards that size to one try – and that was a bit of magic from Vermeulen – was a big effort," he added.

"I thought we just about did enough to win the game, but fair play to South Africa… that is what a quality team does."

Despite Wales' inspiring showing in the pool stages, where they helped knock out hosts England and were very competitive against Australia, Biggar is not expecting any sympathy, as their goal was to reach the final.

"We're not interested in sympathy, I'm certainly not," he said.

"At the end of the day we've lost a quarter-final and I don't want praise or kind words written about us, that's the way it is.

"Maybe in a few weeks we can look back and be pretty proud of our efforts, but we are not interested in being brave or proud losers. Ultimately, we have failed in our goal which was to reach the final."