The word on the street could not have been clearer — the teenage fly-half at Swansea RFC was a hot-head who didn’t think twice about letting everyone know his feelings on a rugby pitch, including the man in the middle.
I was down to referee the Whites and wondering quite what to expect from the youngster with such a fiery reputation.
“You are going to have your hands full dealing with him,” I was told.
“His name is Dan Biggar and he’s in the Ospreys’ academy.
“He’s a promising player but he can be temperamental, he doesn’t stop talking and trying to run the show himself.”
Well, OK, I thought to myself. Seat belt on. Let’s see how it goes.
As fate would have it, he didn’t play that day but my curiosity was piqued and I couldn’t resist having a word with Swansea’s then coach Richard Webster before the game.
“Where’s that fly-half who’s a bit of a hot-head?” I asked.
Webby replied that he wasn’t playing and he wasn’t sure me and him would have hit it off on the pitch, anyway, at that time in Biggar’s career.
A bit of context — most of us have been there. A bit too cocky when young, saying things we shouldn’t say and not caring about the consequences. It’s part of growing up, I guess.
Fifteen years on I have huge respect for the current Wales captain as a person and as a rugby player.
But there are two different Dan Biggars.
The off-pitch version is unassuming and charming, with a thoroughly likeable personality and always willing to help people out. Really, you couldn’t wish to meet a nicer bloke.
The on-field Dan Biggar is a competitor to his core, someone who fights over every blade of grass and is willing to do what it takes to see his side ahead on the scoreboard at the final whistle. If it means raising his voice at team-mates to get what he wants, he isn’t afraid to do it.
If it means sometimes throwing his hands in the air and contesting matters with the referee on any given day, he’ll do that as well.
He is like Johnny Sexton, ferociously driven and someone who believes everybody should be giving what he’s giving. That’s a hundred percent, for those in any doubt.
My guess is that earlier in Biggar’s career some referees would have found him a challenge to referee. Some still do.
I certainly found him difficult on the pitch at times, particularly if things were not going his way in big matches like the Ospreys v Scarlets Boxing Day derby, which was always a tough gig to referee at the best times.
But I have to say I’ve been impressed with him as Wales skipper.
Against Scotland, in particular, he led from the front and drove Wales to victory. You could see that he wanted to win so much that it almost hurt, with his example rubbing off on his fellow players.
It was an important win, because after losing to Ireland emphatically in the previous round of the Six Nations, Wales could have been forgiven for feeling unsure of themselves ahead of the game in Cardiff and Scotland had just nailed a Calcutta Cup win over England.
Make no mistake, the hosts were under pressure that day.
So for them to emerge with victory, after a passionate and committed performance, said much for everyone involved and particularly for the man who wore the armband.
The fiery individual I had been warned about those many years ago managed to achieve the perfect balance between playing on the edge, which is his default setting, and staying sufficiently in control to make good decisions and speak to the referee in a calm and reasoned way.
For me, that was always going to be the big challenge he faced as captain.
As hinted at above, he is a full-on player who operates best when fired up. He keeps those around him honest and doesn’t stop trying. When team-mates see that example, they want to copy it.
The trick is the staying-in-control bit. Don’t overstep the mark. Don’t allow your brain to overheat.
Fire in the belly, ice in the veins.
I have spoken to him in this Six Nations about such matters.
He’s a bright guy and he knows that achieving that balance is key to his being a good captain.
But it isn’t easy.
A good captain should not be afraid to make his points to a referee if he feels strongly enough about something.
Myself, I would have liked to have seen him challenge a bit more around the TMO’s call over the lineout leading up to England’s try at Twickenham. If not him, then the pack leader. But, hey, it was only his third game in charge and as a fly-half it’s not easy to know what the heck is going on in a lineout.
A captain is within his rights to have a word with a referee, just don’t tell him he’s wrong. Ask him a question or two instead.
And, remember, the quiet voice is always the most persuasive one.
Trek back to the decisive Test in the series between New Zealand and the Lions in 2017. Romain Poite had sounded his whistle and looked set to give a penalty against Ken Owens that could have won the All Blacks the whole shooting match. But, using the skills of a career diplomat, Sam Warburton encouraged him to check, and a scrum ended up being given.
Had Warburton been the kind of captain who argued over every call and hectored officials, history might have turned out differently.
But he wasn’t.
Win Wales v Italy tickets and watch Six Nations game for free:
You can also fill in the entry form and sign up to our newsletter here.
In fact, he was quite the reverse. He used to pick his moments and speak reasonably to officials. In so doing when he did raise an objection the referee was more likely to listen.
People often ask me who were the greatest captains I refereed. It’s a tough question to answer because there were so many good ones, including Richie McCaw , Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones. Obviously it would only be at club and regional level I would referee the Welsh captains.
But I’d also have Thierry Dusautoir, John Smit and Brian O’Driscoll on my list.
I found each of them good to work with.
O’Driscoll even suggested that for some of the forward issues, I talk with Paul O’Connell, his vice-captain. That showed good sense and a lack of ego.
There’s no doubt captaincy is an art which most have to work at.
But for someone who’s new to the challenge, Biggar has made a decent fist of it so far.
He has matured a lot over the years and seems much more in control.
That can only be good for him and good for Wales as well.
Who would have thought it? That hot-head from those years ago going on to skipper the national team.
It goes to show nothing can be ruled out in rugby.
To get the latest rugby news and analysis, sign up for our Welsh rugby newsletter.
