Gatland must rediscover Wales winning formula soon - Biggar

Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar believes Warren Gatland can turn struggling Wales around but says the head coach will face increased pressure if his side's losing run continues.

The 34-year-old is among a number of experienced players Wales have lost in recent years, having retired from international rugby after last year's World Cup.

Since the quarter-final defeat to Argentina in France, Wales have lost nine successive internationals and slipped to 11th in the world rankings, their lowest ever position.

Gatland's side face Fiji, Australia and South Africa in Cardiff in November.

"I have respect for the coaching staff who are there at the minute and Rob Howley coming back into the mix will make a huge difference," said Biggar, who played 112 Tests for Wales.

Former Ospreys fly-half Biggar continues to play for French club Toulon, who he joined in November 2022 from Northampton.

He featured in three World Cups for Wales and was part of a trio of Six Nations-winning sides, including one Grand Slam.

Biggar believes Wales assistant coach Howley will have significant influence after he returned to Gatland's backroom staff earlier this year.

"Rob is a brilliant coach and he and Warren are experienced enough to get them out of it [the losing run]," added Biggar, who has also been on two British and Irish Lions tours and played three Tests against the Springboks in 2021.

"I think this autumn Wales will surprise a few people and get over the line against Fiji and Australia, and the landscape would change then.

“I am more optimistic than perhaps other people.”

However, Biggar warns that if Wales do not start delivering some results, Gatland's position will come under scrutiny.

"If you look at the minute, Welsh rugby's in a little bit of a hole," Biggar said.

"There has to be a bit of acceptance [that] players left after the World Cup and the amount of experience lost. It's a new, young side.

"But if results continue to go the way they are, Warren's been around the game long enough to know there are going to be questions asked.

"He will come under pressure the same as Wayne [Pivac] did when he was in charge. Only time will tell."

While he has respect for his former coach’s abilities, Biggar has revealed he had a sometimes fraught relationship with the 61-year-old New Zealander during his playing days.

"I have the utmost respect for Gats as a coach, what he has achieved with Wales, what we achieved together," Biggar added on BBC Radio Wales.

"The relationship with Warren was professional, it wasn't an overly warm one.

"It was one of mutual respect. I just felt on a couple of occasions we could have done things better."

The relationship with Gatland is one of the subjects Biggar covers in his new autobiography.

The fly-half has highlighted incidents such as when the Wales squad threatened to strike for the 2023 Six Nations game against England over player contractual issues.

While acknowledging Gatland was in a difficult position because he was a Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) employee, Biggar accused the coach of siding with the governing body during its dispute with players and expressed frustrations at the final outcome.

Biggar also criticised Gatland for a newspaper column the coach wrote after a World Cup warm-up game in August 2023.

Gatland's column criticised Biggar for having an argument with Owen Farrell at Twickenham after the England's captain high tackle on Taine Basham, which resulted in a red card for the home skipper. Biggar admitted Gatland's column had first left him angry and later disappointed.

Biggar also stated that at one point in 2023 he wondered whether Gatland was the coach he had once been, although conceded Wales' progress to the last eight of the World Cup had justified his reappointment by the WRU.

"I am the first to say I am not an angel or easy to manage," Biggar told the Scrum V podcast.

"We are both stubborn and didn't help each other in that sense, but it's one of those things.

"There will be bits in the book people will read but it's important to highlight Warren's CV as a coach, it's important to note we were very successful under him.

"His first time in Wales, he changed the Welsh rugby landscape and made Wales into what we were.

"Now we are disappointed we can't quite get back there at the minute."

Biggar uses his book to criticise the way in which the WRU handled Pivac's sacking and Gatland's rehiring as Wales head coach in December 2022.

He wrote that the change was made in a "shabby and insensitive manner" and proved financially ruinous, with more than £1m spent on pay-outs to three sacked coaches and the cost of rehiring Gatland.

"This is in no way a reflection of Warren's salary. If someone offers you a salary, you are not going to say no," Biggar added on BBC Radio Wales.

"What I felt was difficult to comprehend was that players were getting ridiculous contract offers, saying there's no money in the game etcetera, but there was a lot of money which had been spent on hiring and firing.

"If you are saying there's no money available but then you find the best part of £1m to fire three coaches, you have to be able to answer those questions.

"The biggest thing was that the communication wasn't great in amongst all these bits and pieces that have gone on amongst the turbulent times in Welsh rugby."

Biggar accepts his illustrious career would not have been possible without the support of his mum Liz, who passed away three years ago, shortly before the Lions were due to travel to South Africa.

"I remember going into hospital to see her just after the Lions [squad] was announced that day," said Biggar.

"We didn't know what was going to happen with her at that point and she said, 'Don't you even think about not going on tour if I am still here or if things are looking a bit iffy'.

"She passed away a couple of days after that. It was a really tough time.

"For the first six months after she passed away it felt strange getting in the car, driving to training and not phoning her.

"It has been almost been a tougher period since she passed away because she has missed out on me being a Test Lion, winning 100 caps, moving to France and a new grandson.

"The book is dedicated to her. I hope she will be proud."