‘Use that as fuel’: Biggar and Wales motivated by criticism in Six Nations

Neil Jenkins has cited criticism, both within the camp and from external sources, as a motivating factor for the Wales captain, Dan Biggar, as he led the team to a much-needed victory against Scotland which revived their defence of the Six Nations title.

Biggar drop-kicked his team to a 20-17 win in Cardiff in their last match after a crescendo of criticism ensued from the champions’ crushing opening defeat by Ireland the week before.

When asked to pinpoint some of the attributes that have contributed to Biggar’s longevity at the highest level in the buildup to the match against England at Twickenham this weekend, Jenkins was refreshingly forthright.

“Sometimes you can use that as fuel,” the Wales kicking coach and former fly-half said of the judgments passed on the team. “No doubt Dan will use that to his advantage.”

Jenkins’s reply was unusual in that athletes and coaches routinely roll out platitudes in modern press conferences centred on “processes” and “controllables”. The aim is to be like Teflon, repelling the outside world from the sanctimony of the inner circle. But after the 29-7 defeat in Dublin, the clamour beyond the gate filtered through.

Much of the backlash focused on the apparent weakness of the tight five, particularly their inability to offer a threat while carrying. Speaking on the BBC’s Six Nations Special podcast, Sam Warburton, the former grand slam-winning captain,, was clear in his damnation. “Wales don’t have that front five who can carry and break the gainline,” he said.

Of course the opposition played a role but Wales’s tight five made three more carries and nine more metres in Edinburgh than they achieved in Dublin. They also secured clean ball from all 12 of their lineout throws with the