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Rugby World Cup: Dan Biggar backs Wales to ‘spring a few surprises’ in France

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Experienced fly-half Dan Biggar is backing Wales to “spring a few surprises” in the Rugby World Cup due to them being under the radar as a contender.

The 33-year-old, who currently plies his trade at Toulon, was speaking to the Scrum V podcast as he looked ahead to the global tournament and much more.

The Welsh have been drawn in the same pool as Australia, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal and are viewed as major underdogs to go deep in the knockout stages.

Tough World Cup pool for Wales

But Biggar is confident his side will give a good account of themselves in France as Wales are set to begin their preparations after naming a training squad.

“We are in a tough group and aware we are going to be targeted, but we want to come into the competition and spring a few surprises,” said the playmaker.

This would be Biggar’s third Rugby World Cup, and his team has performed admirably in recent tournaments, which gives the fly-half hope looking ahead.

“Nobody is going to be talking about us for the World Cup, so we can just get out of the country and away from the pressure cooker of Wales, work hard and try and spring a few surprises come September and October,” he said.

“We are under the radar, but that’s probably where we like to be. We probably don’t enjoy having that favourites tag of the expectation on us. That is strange because we are a country that has had success as well.

“We are different if you compare this to four years ago, and you can tell this after we picked a squad of 54 players compared to 42 last time around.

“I am quietly confident if we get our head down and the more time we spend together, we always improve.

“That’s why we have always done fairly well at World Cups because we have had almost like a club pre-season together.

Camps in Switzerland and Turkey

“Gats has promised it will be a pretty gruelling few weeks in Switzerland and Turkey and put us in good stead over the last couple of World Cups.”

Asked about his plans in the international arena after the Rugby World Cup, Biggar refused to make a decision until after the tournament later this year.

“I don’t know, we’ll see what happens,” he said, with the possibility of his new life at Toulon maybe having the same impact it did for Jonny Wilkinson.

“We have got a great life down here, but what the match day experience gives you, the buzz of playing for Wales, is something that will never be replicated. We will see how the World Cup goes.”