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Northampton provide update on Lions pick Biggar following Sunday's injury
By PA
Dan Biggar will be available for the final Northampton match of the Gallagher Premiership season, easing concerns over his fitness for the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. Biggar was taken off in the second half of Sunday's defeat by Exeter after sustaining a chest injury, but the Wales fly-half has had no adverse effects ahead of next Saturday's clash with Bath.
"Dan was just a little bit sore," said Saints boss Chris Boyd about Biggar, the Lions selection who played 60 minutes of the 26-29 club loss before being replaced by James Grayson. "He is available for selection this weekend. It was precautionary as much as anything else."
Also available for Northampton is Biggar's fellow Lion Courtney Lawes, who has made a successful comeback from the pectoral injury he suffered in January.
Lawes, starting at blindside flanker, was superb against Wasps and Exeter and Boyd insists the versatile back five forward will be a valuable asset for Warren Gatland in South Africa.
"Courtney said to me after Exeter that he wasn't very happy with his game, that he was off the pace and rusty," continued Boyd. "If that is off the pace and rusty then he is going to be pretty good by the time he charges around South Africa. Courtney is a world-class athlete and a world-class rugby player.
"I have been lucky enough to coach some world-class players and one of the things that sets them apart is that generally they come back and don't have a lot of rust. You could argue he might be able to fill in more positions than six and second row because they don't have the fetching players in South Africa.
"Courtney isn't big by six, seven or eight standards in South Africa so he can play across the back row and then pop into lock when he needs to."
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It’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
Go to commentsDon’t pay a blind bit of notice to Lukie… he likes the sound of his own voice and is always looking for something controversial to say. He has been banging on about Leinster's defensive system all season like he knows something Jacques Nienebar doesn’t. Which is the reason why he didn’t apply for the job obviously
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