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Biggar a Wales injury doubt after missing second half with Saints
By Liam Heagney
Northampton's Dan Biggar has emerged as an injury doubt for next weekend's Wales versus South Africa clash in Cardiff after the out-half exited Saturday's East Midlands Gallagher Premiership derby versus Leicester at the interval. The 32-year-old was Warren Gatland's first-choice No10 in the recent Lions Test series against the Springboks.
Unavailable to feature for Wales against the All Blacks this Saturday due to the match falling outside the World Rugby window governing player release, Biggar was instead on duty for Northampton in their high profile English league game against leaders Leicester.
The expectation was that despite missing the All Blacks match, Biggar would arrive in to Wales camp next week to take back the No10 jersey from the fit-again Gareth Anscombe and resume the rivalry he had with Handre Pollard over the course of the three-game Lions versus Springboks series.
However, Biggar, who missed two first-half kicks from the tee for a Northampton team that fell 27-0 in arrears after just 33 minutes, didn't make it back out the Franklin's Gardens tunnel for the second half due to an unspecified knock.
BT Sport were broadcasting the match live on TV and it was their commentator Alistair Ekeyn who reported that Biggar hadn't reappeared for the second half. "We have lost a Lion in amongst all the Tigers - we have lost Dan Biggar who has had to go off looking distinctly uncomfortable so he has been replaced by James Grayson at fly-half," he said.
"If you know that that man is admitting defeat here this afternoon you know that he is in some pain. Frustration for Northampton and also for Wales, of course, who play New Zealand later but they have a hefty campaign in the autumn featuring South Africa, Fiji and Australia. Gareth Anscombe will do a fine job no doubt on his return from that horrendous injury that has kept him out for so long."
Having watched Leicester register a four-try bonus point in just over half an hour, Northampton managed to hit back with a try before Biggar's unfortunate exit. They went on to start the second half well with Grayson now on but while they managed to register a try bonus point, ultimately they had too much to do and they lost 26-55 in a contest where George Ford was voted man of the match.
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Latest Comments
VDF was excellent last week and this week. Henshaw was great in the first half. Sam Prendergast tried to "do it all by himself" precisely once, when he did very well but was left unsupported. McCarthy had a mixed game, as did Crowley. Hansen was poor for the second week in a row. How was Casey not on long enough to rate but Baird was considering Baird was on all of a minute? These ratings were phoned in, the author must have been drunk by half-time.
Go to commentsStill only two RCs in fifteen years when we won nearly every year. Win rate in the Rassie era still under 70% when the Henry/Hansen era was over 85%. Best forwards will be too old in 2027. Poor old Rassie has done a fantastic job but that itch ain't going anywhere and it'll be there for the rest of his life 🥴🥴🥴
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