What Biggar said about Anscombe as Wales toppled Boks on SA soil
Dan Biggar hailed Wales’ “huge achievement” after his team of history-makers stunned world champions South Africa 13-12 in Bloemfontein.
It was Wales’ first win against the Springboks on South African soil, ending 58 years of hurt and arriving at the 12th attempt.
After suffering an agonising three-point defeat in last weekend’s series opener, Wayne Pivac’s team made no mistake at the second time of asking and set up a Cape Town decider next Saturday.
Josh Adams’ 78th-minute try was converted from the touchline by his fellow replacement Gareth Anscombe – who went on for Biggar early in the second half – as Wales levelled the series.
“We have earnt the right to enjoy this victory because it is a huge achievement,” Wales captain Biggar said.
“There have been some very, very good Wales teams to have come here and been sent packing. We are a really tight-knit group, and everyone deserves a pat on the back.
“I mentioned before the game in my speech (to the players) that it was an easy job to be captain of this team because we have got a great group of guys who will roll their sleeves up and work their socks off.”
On Anscombe’s match-winning strike, Biggar added: “It was absolute character from him.
Delighted for Gareth Anscombe! He’s been to hell and back with his knee but he always had huge spuds in the locker and nails this winner! #SAvWAL ?? pic.twitter.com/D8Mdcgvwor
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) July 9, 2022
“I thought he was excellent when he went on, and from the minute it left his boot it looked good, so huge bottle from him and a huge effort.
“I am really pleased for him because he has had a difficult couple of years with injury. I am really proud of him, and Sam Wainwright on debut against a front row full of World Cup winners, it was exceptional from him.”
Biggar (shoulder) and wing Alex Cuthbert (arm) both departed the action early as Wales dug deep to claim an unforgettable win.
“I am a bit sore, so we will see how it pulls up tomorrow, but the last two minutes made it a little bit better,” Biggar said.
“I will be desperate to be involved next Saturday. Hopefully, it is just a bang and nothing more.”
Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber’s decision to make 14 changes backfired – he rested World Cup winners like Siya Kolisi, Faf de Klerk and Cheslin Kolbe – as Wales triumphed, with Biggar and Anscombe also kicking penalties and Handre Pollard booting four penalties for South Africa.
Just over three months after losing at home to Italy, Wales stunned the world champions, with head coach Pivac masterminding a landmark triumph.
Pivac, though, deflected praise following one of the great Wales coaching feats in any sport.
“It is not about individuals, and I certainly don’t feel as though I have achieved anything more than anyone else in the group,” he said.
“These boys play the game, we prepare them and they go out there and they have got through some dark times in an 80-minute game. They did it and dug themselves out of a hole at 12-3 down and got a result we are all proud of.
“After last week, it feels very, very good, obviously. We went through the pain of losing a game in the last quarter, and today we have turned the game around and won it in the last quarter.
“Our discipline was a lot better in the pressure moments in the final quarter, and then to hold out in that last scrum was a big moment as well. Young Sam Wainwright, on his debut, to go in and do such a good job, I am very pleased for him.
“We really wanted to create the history last week, and to not be able to do that the way it was was really frustrating. We took the feeling of last week into this week. I am very happy.
“It will be an enjoyable week because there is something on the game and, in the past, I don’t think there has been. There is a lot to look forward to.”
Nienaber handed debuts to six players at the Toyota Stadium, and he said: “We said from the start (of the series) that we had a plan for 42 players.
“There was risk, but the answers you get out of it outweigh the risk.
“It’s good for the players to understand what a Test match intensity is like, what your accuracy levels have to be. The players would have learned a lot from that.
“We had guys playing their first Test match, guys in-form in different competitions all over the world, but Test matches are different and small margins cost you games.
“I have said all along that Wales were coming here not to compete, they were coming here to win a series. Going into the last game, it is going to be a final.”
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
28 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
28 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
28 Go to commentsShould'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.
28 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.
28 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?
11 Go to comments