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Dan Biggar's future at Toulon addressed by club president
The president and owner of Toulon Bernard Lemaître has dropped the heaviest hint yet over the future of former Wales flyhalf Dan Biggar at the club.
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The Toulon president has previously openly questioned whether Biggar would complete his contract with the French side after a freak back injury while taking a conversion struck him down.
The spasm that say him crumple to ground last year ended up being a hard injury to come back from, but it now seems that Biggar has answered any lingering questions of his form in recent months.
Le Figaro reports that Biggar – who has another year left on his contract – has been in talks with Lemaitre and could even stay in the south of France for an additional period.
“When Dan came back from the World Cup he had a bit of a downturn,” said Lemaitre. “Which was compounded by his surprising back injury while attempting a conversion. It took him a very long time to come back. We therefore asked ourselves the question of what to do next. But he answered it.
“He wants to complete his contract and even, if possible, extend it for another year. We’ll see. Next season will be decisive as far as he is concerned.”
Biggar began his senior career with the Ospreys in 2008, where he made over 200 appearances and became a key player.
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Biggar debuted for the Wales national team in 2008 and has since earned over 100 caps, participating in multiple Rugby World Cups. His international highlights include winning the Six Nations Championship three times. In 2018, Biggar joined Northampton Saints in the English Premiership. In 2022 he left Saints mid-season and signed with Toulon, continuing his career in the French Top 14.
The arrival of Italian Six Nations star Paulo Garbisi into the team further complicates Biggar’s situation earlier in the year, but it seems Toulon sees value in retaining the Welshman.
Comments on RugbyPass
Very interesting that he doesn’t consider URC the mirror of Super Rugby but the rather the EPRC. He doesn’t think URC has the best european teams, like the recently had New Zealand teams in SR, to pit themselves against? Or is he just meaning that despite all the complaints the travel time is still less than SR?
9 Go to commentsI am sick to death of these kiwi props playing for the Reds constantly trying to cheat at rucks, like all kiwis do and constantly giving away penalties. Sick to death of it. We should not be letting kiwis drag Australian rugby down, again. Having a Cron coach the Force is bad enough.
1 Go to commentsHe saw Darcy Swain trying to cheat by using his hand in a ruck and banged him. Fair enough. The Brumbies are dragging Australian rugby down with their incessant cheating.
1 Go to commentsGreat work Codie Taylor and well said. Codie was inspirational in his role as captain and hooker for the Crusaders on Saturday night. That quick tap that lead to a try, a great example.
1 Go to commentsSA is (geographically) isolated and while winning hardly plays the most attractive brand of rugby. SA is in the EU in terms of time zone so broadcasting works and the rest should follow. However, one suspects - because EU teams have many more alternatives - SA is going to have to / will be forced to compromise on some fronts inc the logistical challenges which will mean for example - as it did with Super Rugby - that their teams will spend more time accumulating air miles (that they wont have the time to use). Short of jets that fly on the edge of the atmosphere it would seem that there is very little the SA teams can do other than more agreeable flight paths i.e. not via Doha.
9 Go to commentsDispossessing yes, tackling no. You cannot tackle a player who is prone on the ground but you can play the ball.
24 Go to commentsLeinster failed to convert their opportunities to points. Points per entry (to the opponents 22m area) was around 1.3. You want it to be twice that. Blaming Byrne avoids the bigger point, namely that the red zone attack was stubbornly try-focused and error-strewn. More x-factor at #10 always helps, but in this case there are plenty of others to blame. Doris, as captain could have recognized the success of the Toulouse defense and called for kicks at goal, but he persisted with the quest for tries. And there were many Leinster players at fault for the general attacking inaccuracy, and tendency to turn over possession. It’s too easy to blame Byrne. BOD got it right - the Leinster attack has not maintained its sharp edge, and that’s not something to blame on one player. The good news is that the defensive redesign seems to have matured sufficiently for the coaching team to direct their energies back towards the attacking side of the ball.
6 Go to commentsHe'll be one that got away because of a dumbass England ruling. Could give them a very complete back row but hey ho.
1 Go to commentsCaptain has to be the best in their position. Scott barret and Ardie will be starter picks for the next 4 years, Codie is mean but will he keep samisoni and asofa on the bench for that long? I don’t think so.
2 Go to commentsThe central irony being that the current Boks national team aren't compliant with current anti-doping laws! Love it. Sharks get angry. Grrrrrr
9 Go to commentsBrilliant advert for NH rugby. It lived up to the billing. Dupont is ridiculous, on both sides of the ball. Never seen a player like him. Tough on either side to lose but fair dues to Toulouse.
14 Go to commentsSeems harsh. The game wasn't won until the 95th minute. Leinster could have won it with a drop goal on near 80 minutes. It's just the nature of sport. There has to be a loser in a final. What a game! Better than most internationals.
6 Go to commentsBeen in the leadership group for almost a decade? Spent a fair bit of time in airport toilets too…
2 Go to commentsFine margins and a superb game. Leinster had Sexton in all 4 previous triumphs. Just lacked a game breaker to nick it. Fair play to Toulouse
7 Go to commentsA scrum half with 4 turnovers!? Different gravy.
4 Go to commentsIt would appear that the URC pushed hard to get the SA teams participating to the Champions Cup. And obviously the SA teams would like to be treated on an equal foot. But things are far more complex and cannot be treated on the sole commercial aspects. The health of the players must be taken into account. The Top 14 season is already far longer than the URC and longer than the Premiership. Therefore Top 14 teams are not keen at all to travel to SA. La Rochelle playing in CT and just after in Dublin before another Top 14 game is one example. Therefore not taking the players health into account is disastrous and is going to lead to a lot of frustration from SA teams as well as Top 14/Premiership teams. URC teams have a light schedule and were keen to play SA teams. They should stick to that agenda and not try to force the other two leagues to agree on another agenda.
9 Go to commentsRegardless of this result Penney should be yesterday's man. His record as a Super rugby coach is abysmal and the Crusaders organisation need to cull him now to stop the rot setting in. The Crusaders won't make the playoffs ( outside results will go against them), so he needs to be judged on that and his general performance throughout. Can't say I'm not enjoying it - go the Hurricanes!
4 Go to commentsGuys I really think it's a game of very small margins and knockout rugby still wins apposed to going wide to much to quickly.
6 Go to commentsVery good for NZ rugby and show that the team respect the coach.
4 Go to commentsYou can only coach so much the rest is raw talent. Sometimes overdoing running the ball wide is a problem
7 Go to comments