This World Cup means 'everything' to Dan Biggar as he prepares for his last dance

For Dan Biggar, this is the last stand.

After giving his all to the famous red jersey for 15 years, this will be his final campaign in international rugby.

His stint in the No.10 jersey, which bears a load greater than any other in this country, includes multiple Grand Slams and two World Cups, as well as a Lions tour.

But he was not interested in walking away until he had one last crack at the biggest prize of them all.

When asked by ITV Sport what playing at this World Cup means to him, he simply replied: "everything.”

He then added: “I think being so close four years ago was heartbreaking, losing in that semi-final [against South Africa].

"And for me personally, it's absolutely everything.

“It's going to be the best World Cup for many, many a year. You've got so many teams that can win it, just an awesome place to have the tournament, the weather, the stadiums, the cities, French rugby's just on an absolute high at the minute.

“And for me it was everything to be selected for this. I spoke to my wife and I suppose you never really know if you're going to be selected.

“I was fairly confident but when my name was read out, it was almost like a huge relief because I wanted to be part of this.

“It means the world to me to be able to do this one more time.”

Wales’ first obstacle in this tournament are familiar foes - Fiji.

The two teams have shared a pool at each of the last five World Cups. Fiji’s only victory in those tournaments came in dramatic fashion in 2007 - the last time the World Cup was in France - when they knocked Wales out of the tournament.

But they pose a greater threat than ever in this tournament, now they have a fully professional domestic side and better preparation than ever before.

They head into this tournament full of confidence, having beaten England at Twickenham in a warm-up clash.

Biggar said: “We have to say the growth in Fijian rugby has been incredible.

“You look at some of the scalps they’ve picked up, noticeably a few weeks ago in Twickenham.

“The players they produce, the athletes they produce, the camaraderie they have. They've grown and grown and grown and what makes it so big for us and so interesting for us is this game is billed as a huge game, a real crunch game, isn't it?

“Rather than just thinking ‘can Wales pick up five points or can Wales just squeak past?’ This is a huge game for both sides in the context of the pool.

“We know everybody's going to be talking up Fiji. We know everyone probably wants Fiji to win, who isn't Welsh.

“So we're fully aware that we're playing the underdog here. And perhaps even the form guide a little bit suggests that Fiji may go into this game as favourites.

“But that's almost when we're at our best as well."

In his previous two World Cups, Biggar has played a key role in guiding Wales to a quarter-final in 2015 - a tournament that cemented his place as Wales’ premier No.10 - and a semi-final in 2019.

Four years ago, Wales headed to Japan with great expectations after a barnstorming run throughout 2018 and the year of the tournament.

This time around, the preparation has been dramatically different.

Head coach Warren Gatland has drafted in a raft of young players and results have been disappointing.

But Biggar believes that his final World Cup can be his best.

He said: “I hope so, it’s going to be difficult to beat 2019. I really enjoyed 2019.

“And I think it's important to say that the team were in a far, far different place four years ago when we went to Japan.

“I think we just come off the back of being number one in the world.

“I think it was 15 out of 16 wins, a Grand Slam. So we were almost plotting our way through the tournament.

“We're in a place now where we are one game at a time.

“But when we spend more time together, we tend to produce better performances and better results.

“So I'm hoping that will be the case and I can go out on a real high and go deep into this tournament.”

After the career he’s had, few would begrudge him that.

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