DAN BIGGAR

In a far-reaching interview, the fêted fly-half discusses his turbulent career, retirement plans and his fears for Welsh rugby

- ALAN PEAREY

FEW PLAYERS wear their heart on their sleeve like Dan Biggar, the Welsh stand-off approaching the end of his career at Toulon. Part of a golden generation that won multiple honours under Warren Gatland, he's had his detractors but has never wavered in his belief. At 16 years old, he negotiated a better contract with Ospreys boss Mike Cuddy and at 18 he landed a drop-goal from his own half on his first start for the region.

Biggar doesn't fit the romantic image of a Welsh No 10 - "Where Barry John would paint you a picture, I'd draw you a diagram," he says - but he reached the heights time and again for his country. Only three men exceed his Wales caps tally and he twice toured with the British & Irish Lions, starting each game of the 2021 series in South Africa. Wayne Pivac appointed him captain of Wales as he wanted "a bit of fire in our bellies".

Biggar tells his story in depth in his excellent autobiography The Biggar Picture, written in collaboration with Ross Harries. We caught up with him ahead of the book's release...

You have a new book out. Did you enjoy the process? "| didn't think I would but I really enjoyed it. Until you do a book, you don't realise how how many hours you have to put in.

I've never been on social media, so in a sense I've never had a voice. I wanted to have my say on my life and career. And the one thing I wanted to do is just to be honest."

You say you didn't match the image of the archetypal Welsh No 10. Do you think you were misconstrued as a player because of the Wales game plan under Warren Gatland? "Yes, there's an argument for that. But I feel like I've been vindicated now. When you look at the four-and-a-half years that I spent at Northampton under Chris Boyd, playing a very different game plan to what Wales played, you can see I was capable of playing a more expansive game.