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Northampton give Biggar update nearly 5 weeks after Lions injury
Northampton boss Chris Boyd is expecting Dan Biggar to return to training with the Saints next Monday, shrugging off fears that the eleventh-minute injury which forced the out-half to exit the Lions Test series decider last month versus the Springboks was something more serious.
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Despite starting all three Tests in South Africa, Northampton talisman Biggar had his issues while on tour. He initially had what was described as a minor ankle sprain in the week prior to the final warm-up match versus the Stormers which he was rested for. He was then concussed in the first Test match and his quick recovery for the second Test was questioned by Progressive Rugby, the concussions awareness group.
Biggar was then seen hobbling out of the Test series decider on August 7 after sustaining a painful shin injury early in the contest. There was no update issued at the time by the Lions about the extent of the injury but Northampton boss Boyd has now given an update nearly five weeks after that latest Biggar blow was sustained.
“He has had a couple of weeks swanning around the Greek islands,” replied Boyd when asked by RugbyPass what the status was on the Gallagher Premiership club’s two Lions, Biggar and England forward Courtney Lawes, ahead of a campaign that will start for Northampton at home to Gloucester on September 18.
“Courtney has been in Croatia for a couple of weeks so they are tanned up and well-rested. Those guys are both keen to get going again. Dan, for instance, is into training with us on Monday. Courtney is probably a week behind him, but they seem to be well rested from their South African experience and are almost ready to go.”
Awareness group Progressive Rugby criticised the Lions following confusing comments made by skipper Alun Wyn Jones about the Dan Biggar concussion issue#CastleLionsSeries #LionsRugby #RSAvBILhttps://t.co/cJWQyL3GNF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 30, 2021
Earlier at the Saints media briefing ahead of the new 2021/22 Premiership season, Boyd had given his reaction to the newly proposed World 12s after getting asked how would he react if the likes of Biggar and Lawes skipped the final weeks of pre-season next year in order to play in a tournament aiming to involve 192 of the best men’s players in the world. “I don’t think those guys get a pre-season, do they? We never see them. I’m not sure what they do. I’m sure there is a massive amount of water to go under the bridge (regarding 12s).
“It’s always an interesting conundrum, players are represented by the players’ association who are always talking about the need for player rest and player welfare and controlling minutes and then all of a sudden something comes in that has got a nice little juicy financial carrot in it and suddenly some of those things might not be quite as important as they were before.
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“Anything that can promote the game is fantastic. Look what the IPL has done to cricket. I remember a conversation when I was in South Africa between John Smit and Jacques Kallis where Jacques was saying to John the cricket had been the poor cousins to the rugby players from a financial perspective and then the IPL came in and all of a sudden it was not a bad gig being a cricketer if you could get a good IPL contract. How they fit it [World 12s] into a congested global season is going to be really interesting.
“If the players’ associations are genuinely concerned around the welfare of the players around game time etc… if you look at the New Zealand model of people taking sabbaticals, they are supposed to be for regeneration yet they are players who, good on them too, often go and earn some reasonable cash, usually in Japan. But that flies in the face of the argument that they have had. You wouldn’t want to deny the opportunity for the game to grow, you wouldn’t want to deny an opportunity for the players to earn some more money and you wouldn’t want to deny the clubs to be part of that. How that all works in a congested environment I am not 100 per cent sure.”
"Most of the people on the call would not necessarily describe themselves as rebels"
– Ex-RFU boss Ritchie has insisted World 12s is a concept not to be feared by World Rugby and other administrative bodieshttps://t.co/SbLJuCrNXd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 7, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
This team does not beat the ABs sadly
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe 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
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 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.
11 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.
54 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
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 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
54 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.
54 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.
54 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.
54 Go to comments