Dan Biggar’s advice to Warren Gatland over ‘perfect Wales opportunity’ in Six Nations
Dan Biggar chatting with Wales head coach Warren Gatland during the 2023 Six Nations.
Retired Wales fly-half Dan Biggar believes that it is the ideal chance for Warren Gatland to bring through their talented young players.
After taking over ahead of the 2023 Six Nations following Wayne Pivac’s sacking, the returning head coach took the chance to mix and match his squads.
They endured a dreadful competition as Gatland consistently experimented, but eventually settled on a fairly experienced side for the Rugby World Cup.
Although the Welsh were without Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb, who retired before the World Cup, there was still a seasoned look to the XV.
Next generation
Biggar is one of those to step away after the global tournament and the Toulon playmaker believes that now is the time for the youngsters to shine in the Six Nations.
“We are at a stage where we have to to find out a little bit more about players. Because we’ve got a lot of players who are right at the start of their career, with maybe a handful of caps, and what we had was a lot of players who were towards the end of their career with a big number of caps,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live’s The 2024 Guest List.
“From a Welsh point of view, it’s difficult to know what’s going to be put out on the pitch because there are a lot of unknown combinations, a lot players who are going to be involved in their first squad ever.
“I couldn’t tell you how the Six Nations is going to pan out, but I do believe there is a lot of talented Welsh youngsters playing in the regions at the minute.
“If you’re going to give any youth and inexperience a chance, this is the perfect opportunity at the start of a four year cycle before the World Cup and you’re able to put in place what you want to build on over the next three-and-a-half years.”
Biggar’s Wales career ended after they succumbed 29-17 to Argentina at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The fly-half is continuing in club rugby with Top 14 side Toulon, but the pivot admitted that the country’s exit in France ‘came as a shock’.
Abrupt ending
“If I’m brutally honest I expected us to win that quarter-final, I don’t think I was quite prepared for it to end so abruptly,” said Biggar.
“When you lose in a quarter-final there’s no hanging about for a third and fourth play-off. You basically pack your bags when you get back to the hotel and you check out and you’re home within 24 hours.
“So for me it came as a bit of a shock and it knocked me for six a little bit. After everything I’d given to the sport for as many years as I had, I didn’t really think that was how it was going to end.
“I remember just walking down the tunnel in the velodrome in Marseille after doing a lap and thanking the fans and that sort of hit me then because I knew that at that point there would be no more, that would be the last time that I’d walk back down a tunnel in a Wales shirt.”
