Fighting Dan Biggar for 10 jersey gave Sam Davies 'competitive edge'
Dragons fly-half Sam Davies believes his time spent playing with Dan Biggar early in his career had a formative role in helping him become only the fourth man to score 1,000 United Rugby Championship points.
The 28-year-old kicked 13 points to take his total to 1,005 in the competition under its various guises as the Dragons collected only their second win of a challenging season, upsetting the Scarlets 38-27 in Llanelli on Saturday.
Only Biggar, Dan Parks and Ian Keatley had reached the 1,000-point marker before Davies achieved the feat.
Davies played alongside Biggar at the Ospreys for several years and the fact he has hit the milestone is perhaps even more impressive when you consider the quality of his competition for kicking duties in the early part of his career when both men were available for selection.
But he believes the “competitive edge” between the pair was mutually beneficial, with Biggar racking up a record 1,585 URC points before he departed for Northampton in 2018.
“A lot of the time they would accommodate me and Dan by playing Dan at 10 and me at 15, which meant I wasn’t kicking, so he was getting to score all the points!” Davies told the PA news agency.
“But he was a very good kicker and he remains world class to this day, if not even better than he was back then.
“It definitely drove me on. I think it drove both of us on, if I’m honest.
“It’s good to have that competitive edge in training, especially as a youngster, and I’d like to think it pushed both of our games on.”
Biggar is the current occupant of the Welsh 10 jersey and chalked up his 100th cap for his country during this year’s Guinness Six Nations.
Davies, by contrast, has been limited to just eight Test caps despite being a dependable performer at regional level, with Gareth Anscombe, Rhys Priestland and Callum Sheedy among those ahead of him in the pecking order.
“If you read into it too much, I think you can get frustrated,” said Davies, who won all of his eight caps in an eight-month period from November 2016 to June 2017.
“I thought I played well at the start of the season and maybe there was a door in there with a lot of the 10s being out injured, but it wasn’t to be.
“When it’s not to be, there’s nothing you can do about it other than go out and try and play as best as you can.
“Things can change quickly, so I’ll always play at my best level and if anything comes off the back of that then brilliant and I can add to the eight caps that I’ve got.
“If not, then it’s just about trying to give the best for the team that I’m in, and that’s the Dragons.
“There’s a lot of outside-halves in contention with Wales at the moment, so unless your team’s going well as an outside-half, I suppose it’s going to be tough to push your way into selection talks.”
Parks and Keatley have, like Biggar, topped 1,500 points in the URC, meaning Davies has a way to go if he is to break into the top three.
“When you climb over one mountain you’re at the bottom of the next,” added Davies.
“That’s the thing with achievements – there’s normally someone out there who’s done a little bit better.
“I’ll try and chase them down. There’s some really good names in there.
“It makes me feel a bit old if anything, but I’m glad I’ve been able to get to this milestone and long may it continue.
“It’s certainly a milestone I’ll look back on when I finish my career and it’s one that I’ll cherish.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments