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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Jon Doel

Missing captain Dan Biggar 'feared the worst' watching Wales v New Zealand from the stands

Missing Wales captain Dan Biggar believes Wales' failure to meet the physical challenge of facing New Zealand was the reason for the humbling 55-23 defeat.

Biggar, who last week announced his move to Toulon with immediate effect, was in the stands with his wife and eldest son as he recovers from a knee injury. And, like many Wales fans, what started as an afternoon filled with optimism soon turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Speaking on The Ruck podcast on The Times, he said: "If you gift 17 points to any team, let alone New Zealand, it's a very difficult task. I was fearing the worst when they went 17-0 up after 15-20 minutes.

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"When you're watching it you know what the calls are likely to be and what we are trying to achieve. Ultimately, the game on the weekend, New Zeaalnd won so many more physical battles and confrontations and collisions and it just made their game absolutely tick. I thought Ardie Savea and Aaron Smith were different class. They just carried the ball incredibly well, won loads of collisions and made it difficult.

"I suppose for me watching it was a strange feeling because I haven't had that feeling too often. I was concentrating on the game thinking what the calls were going to be rather than enjoying the atmosphere and occasion."

Biggar will miss the entire autumn campaign but hopes to make his debut for his new club in early December.

Speaking about the move to France, Biggar said he initially doubted whether an immediate move abroad was the right thing for his family after the recent birth of his second son.

But, with a multi-year deal on the table, his family decided to take the plunge.

"It's not how I envisaged leaving but I'm really excited to start a new adventure with the family.

"The time at Northampton has been the best four-and-a-half years of my career. I have loved everything about it and I have been looked after incredibly well. It was a really difficult decision to leave, particularly halfway through a season, but it was too good for myself and my family."

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