Dan Biggar targets danger man Sexton as Wales aim to ‘fire some shots’

‘We want to be quite aggressive in the way we want to play, as opposed to absorbing and letting Ireland come out and dictate,’ says Dan Biggar Photograph: Donall Farmer/PA

Wales’s ambition to retain their Six Nations title has been hit by a lengthy injury list but the stand-in captain, Dan Biggar, says they cannot afford to let Ireland dictate in the Dublin opener next Saturday.

Wayne Pivac’s champions, who were within seconds of a grand slam last year before conceding a late try against France in Paris, go into the tournament with several key players sidelined. Biggar takes the captain’s armband in the absence of Alun Wyn Jones, who had shoulder surgery in December, with experienced campaigners such as Ken Owens, George North and Taulupe Faletau also on the treatment table. The Exeter lock Christ Tshiunza is isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.