Dan Biggar was uncharacteristically stroppy when he spoke to the press during the lead-up to his last game against Scottish opposition.
That was in round two of this year’s Six Nations, with his Welsh team still licking their wounds from a 34-10 home humping – to use the vernacular – at the hands of Ireland in round one, while that week’s opposition had sensationally triumphed over England at Twickenham in their opening game.
“Scotland played well last week against England but according to you guys they are the best team around aren’t they?” sniped the veteran stand-off during a pre-match press call. “They’re red-hot favourites, best team in the tournament, so we’ll see how they go Saturday. We don’t seem to get any credit, and other teams seem to get a lot of praise for probably not quite the success we’ve had, but that’s how it goes.”
In the event, Scotland inflicted a record 35-7 drubbing on Wales at Murrayfield, which will not have lightened Biggar’s mood much – although we do not know for certain because he was spared media duty afterwards.
The 33-year-old was in bubblier form last week as he looked ahead to locking horns with several of the same players he faced in February in Friday’s Challenge Cup final clash between his Toulon team and Glasgow – correctly pointing out that the circumstances surrounding this game bear little resemblance to that Six Nations encounter.
“It’s a totally different situation, I’m in a different team, playing against a different team, in a different competition – so it will have absolutely zero relevance come a week on Friday,” he said.
“I’ve had a lot of good days against Scottish teams as well in my career, so that won’t have any relevance either,” he added with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Unlike Glasgow, who tumbled out of the URC at the play-off quarter-final stage last weekend, Toulon are still fighting a battle on two fronts. Before last night’s away match against Racing 92, they were seventh in the French Top 14, one point shy of sixth place – which is where they need to be to qualify for this year’s play-offs and next year’s Champions Cup – with two rounds left to play.
“The expectation here is both,” said Biggar, when asked if the league or Europe is Toulon’s priority. “There is no doubt about that. We’ve had two really tough games in the Top 14, going away to Castres then La Rochelle at home last weekend when we didn’t come out on the right side, so that’s put us under a bit of pressure for this weekend.
“But what next weekend [against Glasgow] gives us is an opportunity to put a trophy in the cabinet, and this is a competition the club have never won, albeit they have been very successful in the Top 14 and Champions Cup in the past
“So, we’re viewing it as an opportunity to add something new to Toulon’s rich history by winning this. That’s something which is very important to the coaches and the president and everyone associated with the club.”
Biggar moved to Toulon from Northampton Saints last summer, joining a star-studded cast which includes South African World Cup winning winger Cheslin Kolbe and legendary Italian No.8 Sergio Parisse.
Meanwhile, there are a couple of familiar faces in the squad in the shape of former Edinburgh back-row Cornell do Preez and former Glasgow second-row Brian Alainu’uese.
“It is a different lifestyle out here, that’s for sure,” Biggar said. “We had an afternoon off yesterday and I was in the pool all afternoon with my two boys, enjoying a bit of sun, which didn’t happen too often in the East Midlands! I love it here, my family love it here, it’s difficult not to love the area and the weather – but what I have really enjoyed is going to work. We have a fantastic, brand-spanking-new, state-of-the-art training facility which allows you to better yourself every day.
“We’ve got really good people, good coaches, and the president has been amazing. So, I’m really, really glad I’ve made this move. It was tough to leave but everything that’s come with it has made it worthwhile.
“For me, next Friday is just a great opportunity to play in a big game and hopefully try to reward my new club. Toulon have lost a few finals in this competition as well, so it is just about getting that right this time.”
