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Wales issue Biggar injury update and size up prospect elsewhere of yet another scrum-half change
Grand Slam-chasing Wales have provided an update on the injury status of out-half Dan Biggar and also discussed the prospect of making yet another change at scrum-half for the March 13 Guinness Six Nations game away to Italy.
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Biggar limped out last weekend’s Triple Crown-clinching win over England shortly after half-time, a contest in which starting scrum-half Kieran Hardy later suffered the hamstring injury that has now ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament, the trip to Rome as well as the potential Grand Slam clincher away to France on March 20.
Wales assistant coach Stephen Jones gave nothing away regarding the exact specifics of the injury that is affecting Biggar, who has spent the week back at Northampton under the regulation nine player release rule following the bump that paved the way for Callum Sheedy to come off the bench and star in closing out the win.
What Jones did insist, though, was that Biggar is expected to be in contention to face the Italians. “Dan has got an injury that he is nursing and we are very optimistic for next week,” said Jones. “We’ll find out on Monday but the reports are that we are pretty optimistic that he is going to be available to us. It’s good from that aspect. I’m not sure (what the injury is), you’ll have to ask the medical team.”
Elsewhere, the unavailability of Hardy will mean that Wales must again change their selection at No9. In their 13 matches so far under Wayne Pivac since February 2020, they have only twice been able to select the same scrum-half from one game to the next.
"There will be things from that (Wales vs England) game he will be hard on himself as well"
– Callum Sheedy is back hard at work at Bristol this week rather than get carried away by his Wales exploits #SixNations #PremRugbyhttps://t.co/VIt0aDyxS4
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 4, 2021
Tomos Williams was the chosen No9 for the first two games of last year’s Six Nations, starting against Italy and Ireland, while Gareth Davies also started successive matches last autumn versus Scotland and Ireland. Other than in those two instances, Pivac has had to change his scrum-half from one game to the next and he will have to do so again for their next outing at Stadio Olimpico.
Under the Kiwi, Tomos Williams and Davies have each started four times, Hardy on three occasions while Lloyd Williams and Rhys Webb have one start each. “It will be interesting to look how many of those have been because of injury,” reflected Jones. “Obviously the autumn series was different in the sense we wanted to have a look at players across the board, but you always want consistency in selection and sometimes your hands are tied with injuries.
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“For Kieran, it’s unfortunate after having a wonderful performance against England. He has picked up a hamstring injury and is unavailable for the rest of the tournament. Where that leaves us with scrum-halves is simple, we have got three left in the squad who are good to go. Tomos is ticking the boxes (after his injury), which is great, and he is taking part in training.
“It’s unfortunate for Kieran. He has worked particularly hard on his game to improve aspects and he is a very fit guy, works hard on his fitness. We thought his performance at the weekend was excellent. Unfortunate for him he is not in a position to be able to back that up.”
RugbyPass Offload EP 19 with Dan Lydiate ?
Christina, Dylan and Jamie are joined by Welsh and British & Irish Lion back-row Dan Lydiate this week!
We review all the Guinness Six Nations action, refereeing decisions & the France rugby situation.
?? – https://t.co/kiVitCnOVf pic.twitter.com/gT8ibi95qB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 3, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks 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?
9 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.
9 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.
28 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 🤐
19 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….
28 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….
19 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….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments