Wayne Pivac’s side could scarcely have faced a tougher start to the defence of their title, with a trip to Dublin. But while the Wales captain acknowledges how difficult it will be against Ireland, he is confident his side can put up a strong showing.
“It’s a really tough start,” says Northampton fly-half Biggar. “Obviously, with the form Ireland showed in the autumn – how impressive they are – and we know how tough going to Dublin is.
“We haven’t had a huge amount of success there over the last few years. This tournament, in particular, hinges on momentum, really. But if you get off to a good start, then everything seems to flow, camps become a lot happier and training becomes a lot easier.
“For us, it is really important to get a good start. If you can pick up an away win on the first weekend, then it sets you up really nicely.
“We have then got Scotland at home, which we know is going to be hugely difficult as well. The opening couple of weekends are pivotal to how the tournament will go for you, and we are hoping we can get off to a good start and use the 10 days or so we’ve got now to give ourselves the best chance in Dublin a week on Saturday.
“From our point of view, there are lots of key experienced players missing, but that also gives an opportunity to a lot of young lads who have come into the squad to step up and really stake a claim. We were written off last year. We are coming into the tournament as defending champions, so there is certainly a bit of a swagger in the group.”
Wales have been written off by many pundits going into this Six Nations, but that doesn’t bother Biggar one bit. And the experienced playmaker believes it will only serve to motivate his teammates. “If you look at every year when we come into the tournament, Ireland, England and France always start ahead of us with the bookies and the media,” said Biggar.
“We are fully aware of what we’re capable of. There are a lot of boys in the squad now who have got that young lack of fear in terms of expectations and the pressures that are put on you when you play for Wales in the Six Nations.
“Over the last eight, nine or 10 years when we have been reasonably successful in this tournament, it has been a similar question about the (Welsh) regions not quite performing as well as they should, English and Irish clubs doing well and things like that, and we always seem to do okay.
“So we are not putting pressure on ourselves, but we are certainly not looking for any excuses.”
