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'A huge tick': Dan Biggar feels Wales have set their standard after South Africa tour

By PA
Dan Biggar's battle with Handre Pollard should be fascinating to watch (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

Dan Biggar says Wales have set their standard following a “hugely-positive” tour of South Africa.

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Wales soared way above expectations against the world champion Springboks, claiming a first win against them on South African soil.

Although Biggar and company lost a gripping Test series 2-1, they triumphed in Bloemfontein and were only beaten by Damian Willemse’s penalty with the final kick of a magnificent first Test seven days earlier.

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Ireland post-match press conference

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Ireland post-match press conference

While South Africa bossed the third encounter and claimed a 30-14 victory, Wales can reflect with considerable satisfaction on a trip that came just four months after they lost at home to Italy and finished fifth in the Guinness Six Nations Championship.

It leaves them in a strong position ahead of next year’s World Cup, and sets up a mouth-watering autumn series when New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Georgia visit Cardiff.

“To get a win over here is a huge tick,” Wales captain Biggar said.

“Overall, it has been a hugely-positive tour. From where we came from in the Six Nations, I don’t think anybody could have predicted how it went.

“We fell a little bit short (in the third Test) after a long season, but we have said this is the standard we need to get to now, not the Six Nations, where we fell off a little bit.

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“We weren’t at the races for the first 15 minutes – South Africa started really strongly. Twelve months ago, we could have conceded three or four times, but the boys dug deep and we managed to get it back to 10-8.

“It showed a huge amount of character, and we are a resolute bunch. It will stand us in brilliant stead, and it has been a really positive campaign overall.

“When we look back on the tour, I think we will have some fond memories.”

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac, who came under fierce criticism following the Six Nations, oversaw an impressive return to form.

He was without the services of four injured British and Irish Lions in Leigh Halfpenny, Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty, while prop Tomas Francis and wing Alex Cuthbert were hurt on tour and flew home early, which illustrated Wales’ admirable resolve.

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Pivac said: “The tour itself has been fantastic, it was the first time we have toured together (since Pivac took charge in late 2019) because of Covid.

“It has been really great, and the whole group – management and players – has pulled together really well.

“I think it just shows the environment that has been created. The players enjoy coming to work, enjoy rolling their sleeves up and enjoy each other’s company.

“That is important, because ultimately you go through some dark patches in Test matches and you have only got the bloke beside you to help you out. The boys have done that time and time again on this tour.”

Pivac, meanwhile, underlined Alun Wyn Jones’ continued value to the squad after he extended his world record of Test match appearances to 165 with three outings off the replacements’ bench against South Africa.

Second-row talisman Jones will be 38, nine days after Wales’ World Cup opener against Fiji in Bordeaux.

Asked if he was in his World Cup plans, Pivac said: “Yes, I think he answered that with his performance.

“”He is keen to continue while he is deemed to be good enough. We clearly deem him good enough.”

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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