{"id":48887,"date":"2021-02-02T15:30:57","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T15:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=48887"},"modified":"2021-02-03T13:29:13","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T13:29:13","slug":"biggar-and-faletau-star-for-their-clubs-ahead-of-six-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2021\/02\/02\/biggar-and-faletau-star-for-their-clubs-ahead-of-six-nations\/","title":{"rendered":"Biggar and Faletau star for their clubs ahead of Six Nations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pair among five Welsh players who had to return to England despite concerns over social bubbles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WAYNE Pivac will have been watching from behind the sofa as five players from his Six Nations training squad featured in Round 7 of the Gallagher Premiership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from relief that none of his players suffered major injuries (or illness \u2026 yet), how will Pivac feel about his players\u2019 performances?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan Biggar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Northampton 10 will have been grateful for some game time ahead of the Six Nations having not run out since Boxing Day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He played 80 minutes in a hard-fought win over Gloucester as his side came back from 19-11 down to win 26-31. Showed slick hands for Northampton\u2019s first try and good decision making for the other three. His penalty kicks in the first half kept his side in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, a misplaced up-and-under kick gave Ollie Thorley the space to set up a slicing Gloucester try under the posts in the second half and he also missed three out of four conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biggar’s untidy kicking game will have been noticed by Pivac and rival fly-halves Callum Sheedy and Jarrod Evans who have previously been critiqued for being lacking in this area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td>Goal kicking accuracy in 2021<\/strong><\/td>Average metres gained in 2021<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1. Sheedy<\/strong><\/td>89% (attempts 9, misses 1)<\/em><\/td>13.8 (4 carries)<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
2. Evans<\/strong><\/td>80% (attempts 10, misses 2)<\/em><\/td>1.9 (12 carries)<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
3. Biggar<\/strong><\/td>57% (attempts 7, misses 3)<\/em><\/td>0.6 (5 carries)<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
(Source: Rugbypass.com )<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Callum Sheedy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He entered 56 minutes into a game that was decided in the first half, Bristol putting seven tries past a glum Bath side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, he bossed the defence from fly-half when he did come on and looked dangerous with the ball in hand. Ended a frenetic period of pressure for Bath, tidying up a bobbling ripped turnover on his own try line before pinning Bath in their 22 with a measured kick for touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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