Dan Biggar says Wales have been overlooked as Six Nations contenders

Wales have been dismissed as Six Nations contenders but with the words of Olympic legend Usain Bolt ringing in their ears, Wayne Pivac’s side believe they can cause a big Dublin upset.

The defending champions have the odds stacked against them against Ireland today and bookmakers have those in red as long as 7-1 to win.

Such a market reflects the fact Wales are without eight injured British and Irish Lions.

There is a big doubt over whether the players who are able to start have the necessary form and fitness to excel at Test level against an Ireland side who had a fine autumn.

If we are honest, the bookies are probably right. And yet…

Wales have a habit of proving people wrong and, in their new captain Dan Biggar, they have a leader who plans on transmitting the competitive instinct which has made him a lion to his team.

On Monday, Wales stepped away from the noise of being written off for some much-needed downtime. Biggar, who will become the 140th captain of Wales at the Aviva Stadium, said: ‘Whenever we win two games in a row, Paul Stridgeon, our head of physical performance, does a funny video taking the mick out of the lads and he presents the “Bobby Cup” to a player.

‘He gets a celebrity to announce who the winner is and on Monday night we had Usain Bolt. He did a pre-recorded message for Taine Basham. It was a bit of a thrill for the lads.

‘We are in really good spirits and it was a nice distraction. We always start as fourth or fifth favourites in the Six Nations and it has been the same for the last 10 years. But I think people forget that in those 10 years, we have been the most successful team, winning it four times and Ireland and England winning it three.’

Biggar is not wrong. Wales’s Championship record is