Dan Biggar reflects on the Rob Howley betting affair and Wayne Pivac's teething Wales troubles
Dan Biggar believes the potential return of former Wales assistant Rob Howley to rugby in the near future will be good for the game. The ex-assistant coach flew home in disgrace just before the start of the 2019 World Cup in Japan after it emerged he had been betting on matches in recent years.
The allegations resulted in Howley missing the finals in the Far East and then serving a ban which elapses on June 16. His absence meant he missed out on the farewell that was given to Warren Gatland and his backroom team after they finished fourth at the World Cup.
Despite having some weeks yet to go on the suspension, Howley has already been linked to a number of vacancies, something that Wales out-half Biggar believes is good as he feels the 49-year-old still have plenty to offer the sport.
“It has been well documented what Rob has gone through,” said Biggar on the latest edition of The Rugby Pod, the chart-topping podcast show fronted by Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode. “Rob never got the full appreciation, certainly in Wales, for what he achieved. He worked as hard as anyone in terms of our analysis, in terms of looking at ways we can improve at different things.
“His rugby mind is going to be beneficial to anyone who can sign him up, no doubt about that, and if he can get back sooner rather than later that would be great for him. It would be great to see him back, absolutely. Wherever he ends up if I’m still about in four years’ time or something he may just offer me a contract that can finish my career. I better keep him onside.”
Biggar, meanwhile, outlined his optimism for the Wayne Pivac era in Wales despite the New Zealander’s results so far showing just one win in four 2020 Guinness Six Nations outings.
“What Wayne has done is he has instilled real confidence in the lads to go out and play. The way we play is going to be different to the way we played with Warren but what we have got at the minute is we have got a team which, barring a couple of elder players, are going to be together for the next four years until the next World Cup cycle.
“Is it important to win every Test match you play? Yes, naturally. Is it important to play well? Of course, it is. But what will be allowed is a little bit of time to adjust to systems and adjust to the way Wayne likes to run sessions, what we are asked to do as players may be slightly different to what Warren asked us to do.
“It’s exciting, it’s really exciting times with the talent we have got to choose from. We weren’t a million miles away in the Six Nations. Ireland, we were well and truly beaten. France probably should have gone our way. And England, there wasn’t a huge amount in it even though they probably took their foot off the gas in that last 15 minutes.
“What is pleasing for us and the way we play is that it will create opportunities for us to score points… it was very similar to when I started the season with Northampton (in 2018). We won two out of the first six or seven games and what you could see was there were signs of us playing well, signs of the way we were playing were positive but we just needed a bit of time together.
“What you saw after Christmas at Northampton was the longer we had together the longer Chris (Boyd) and Sam (Vesty) got to implement their philosophies, their sessions and everything. By the time spring and the good weather came we were absolutely flying by that stage, made the playoffs and had a really good run.
“That will be the same with Wales with what Wayne and Stephen (Jones) want to implement. They will want to win but they appreciate it is going to take a bit of time.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments