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2021 Lions pick Dan Biggar lasts just 20 minutes of Saturday's Premiership outing with Northampton
Lions pick Dan Biggar lasted only 20 minutes of his first Northampton game since he was chosen ahead of Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton by Warren Gatland to be one of the three out-halves who will travel to take on South Africa in July.
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Gatland had voiced concern on Thursday about the durability of Sexton to last the tour without shipping an injury. The first-choice No10 in five of the six Lions Tests in 2013 and 2017 had missed a number of matches recently with a concussion issue but Gatland insisted his decision to exclude the Irishman on this occasion had nothing to do with that.
Instead, it was to do with Sexton’s inability to play on three consecutive weekends as Gatland highlighted how he had to go back to 2018 to find the last three weekends that the veteran Leinster player had started three consecutive games in a No10 jersey.
That assessment resulted in Biggar, Finn Russell and Owen Farrell being the three out-halves chosen by the Lions for their three-Test, eight-match trip to South Africa, but it was ironic that within 50 hours of that selection being announced that Biggar lasted just a half of the first half of Northampton’s Gallagher Premiership game at home to Gloucester.
Biggar suffered an unfortunate clash of heads in a collision with Gloucester’s Billy Twelvetrees and while he walked off the pitch after treatment, he failed his head injury assessment in the dressing room and was unable to return to the action for Northampton.
? Atkinson's no-look
???? Carreras on his bike
? Rees-Zammit down the lineWonderful try from @gloucesterrugby! ? #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/AayNJv2uuj
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 8, 2021
He instead settled for a seat in the stand to watch the closing stages of a first half that contained much better news regarding the other Lions pick who was on show at Franklin’s Gardens as Louis Rees-Zammit needed just 15 minutes to highlight why he was chosen for the tour, blazing his way in for the well-taken try that provided the foundation for Gloucester’s 10-0 interval lead. Rees-Zammit later went on to add his second try on 61 minutes, a score that prompted a dust-up between the two teams and resulted in yellow cards for Piers Francis and Santiago Carreras.
Biggar had told RugbyPass on Friday in the wake of his Lions selection: “It’s really nice to enjoy the moment and celebrate the call, but we have got a huge six weeks coming up now. I’m trying to park everything else now and give everything I have got for Northampton because there is so much to play for here before the end of the season.”
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Dan Biggar credits English rugby for making him a potential Lions Test starter.
– reports @chrisjonespress ???https://t.co/mcx2oj250t
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 7, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Pretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
3 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
3 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
3 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to comments