Dan Biggar urges Warren Gatland to pick a 10 and stick with him

DAN Biggar has urged Warren Gatland to back one fly-half with an extended run in the Wales team – just as he did with him.

Gatland has used five different players in that position in the last 12 months.

These include the now retired Biggar, Gareth Anscombe, Sam Costelow, Ioan Lloyd and summer starter Ben Thomas.

Anscombe is poised to return to action with his new club Gloucester after a year out through injury. Elsewhere, Callum Sheedy’s move to Cardiff could see him join the list of contenders.

In his upcoming autobiography, the 112-cap Biggar draws from his own experience in giving his thoughts on the key position.

Building confidence

“In a jersey like that, you have to put your stamp on it,” said the 34-year-old.

“You have to have authority and confidence in the shirt and to give that off to the rest of the team.

“I always felt if you knew the jersey was yours, if you knew you were the number one, it was a little bit easier to go out and play your game.

“For me, the big thing was the backing.

“This took a bit of pressure off, and I was able to deliver.

“It took a lot of time for me to get in. To be fair to Gats and Rob Howley, once I was in they really backed me. And that made a difference.”

Welsh options at 10

Reflecting on the recent situation, Toulon fly-half Biggar said: “Clearly with myself retiring, Gareth being injured, Rhys Patchell moving away, a couple of other boys not being in consideration, it’s left a little bit of a hole.

“I think Gareth coming back, if he can stay fit and get himself available, will be a huge addition to the squad.

“Sam Costelow has had a really tough start to being Wales’ No 10. When I came into the team, we were a pretty successful side with lots of top senior pros who had won things. What Sam came into and is in at the minute is very different. That’s black and white.

“There are the makings of an extremely good player in Sam, but it’s not an easy job at the minute.

“I know Ben Thomas played the two Tests in the summer, however I think he could be a really good 12 as well.

“It’s positive there are now a few people in contention.

“But I do think making a stand on someone is what’s best for the individual and for the team.

Trust the player

Biggar continued: “Whoever they decide to go with, they need to do the same with them as they did with me. That made me almost not care what anybody on the outside was saying.

“I wasn’t really bothered, because I knew I had the backing of the coaches. Even when there were doubters and haters or bad press, it gave me something to fall back on.

“At the minute, it’s not an easy job playing 10 for Wales. The results and performances haven’t been what we have been used to.

“That makes it a little bit more difficult.

“But I would like to see somebody given the reins and told ‘I don’t care what people write or say or what people’s opinions are’.

“‘For the next 12 months this is your seat, and we want to see you grow into it’.

“Whether it’s Ben Thomas, Sam Costelow or Gareth, I think you say to them ‘Look, this is your team for the minute’. It’s about giving them the confidence to be able to run the team the way they see it, rather than one bad game and you are out. I think it’s important.”

The Biggar Picture: My Life In Rugby will be published by Macmillan on September 26.

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