Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies’ incredible careers in numbers

Saturday’s 20-17 win over Scotland was a fitting way for Wales duo Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies to celebrate becoming the latest Welshmen to reach 100 test caps.

Biggar kicked 15 points as he led Wales to a morale-boosting victory, one of the most important of his stellar career, while Davies came off the bench and crucially ripped the ball from Duhan van der Merwe to stop one dangerous-looking Scotland foray during his 13-minute cameo.

Biggar’s century is made up of 97 caps for Wales and three for the British and Irish Lions, while Davies’ tally is split 94 for Wales and six for the Lions. Only eight other men's Wales players have reached the milestone before.

Both players helped their country reach the semi-finals of the inaugural World Rugby U20 Championship on home soil in 2008, with Biggar the first to graduate to the senior test team in the November of that year. Like Biggar, Davies also made his debut against Canada – but the following May.

As for the Lions, Biggar started all three tests against South Africa last year, having not appeared in any of the tests on the previous tour to New Zealand four years earlier, while Davies started all three tests in Australia in 2013 and did so again against the All Blacks in 2017.

These are the numbers behind the international careers of rugby’s latest centurions.

DAN BIGGAR

2 – Games as Wales captain. Biggar became the first fly-half since Stephen Jones to lead Wales when he was appointed as captain for the Six Nations 2022. He has a record of won one, lost one.

3 – The number of Six Nations title-winning campaigns Biggar has featured in (2013, 2019 and 2021). He did not play in 2012 when Wales also claimed the trophy but was capped later that year against the Barbarians, Australia and Samoa and went on to make his Six Nations debut the following season.

8 – Biggar’s drop goal against Scotland came as a surprise to many but it was ultimately the difference between the teams on the scoreboard. It was Biggar’s eighth test drop goal and first since he slotted one against Australia at Rugby World Cup 2019.

23 – Record number of points scored by Biggar in a match. It came in one of the biggest matches in Wales’ history – the Pool A encounter at Twickenham against RWC 2015 hosts England. Wales trailed 25-18 but went on to win 28-25 thanks to Biggar’s heroics with the boot.

85 – The percentage of successful kicks Biggar has managed in his Six Nations career. It is the highest percentage of any kicker to have attempted more than 50 kicks at goal.

578 – Points scored by Biggar in the red of Wales and the Lions, comprising seven tries, 90 conversions, 113 penalties and those eight drop goals.

JONATHAN DAVIES

2 – Davies has only received two yellow cards in his test career and both came within weeks of each other in the Six Nations 2015. The first came against Scotland followed by one against Ireland. Wales won both games.

4 – The number of Six Nations winner’s medals Davies has won (2012, 2013, 2019 and 2021). Davies started every game of the first three title-winning seasons but missed the Ireland and Scotland fixtures in 2021.

5 – Tests as Wales captain. Davies was first handed the honour against Italy in February 2019 and performed the role again in July and November 2021. His captaincy record is won two, drawn one, lost two.

12 – Rugby World Cup appearances, placing him ninth in Wales’ all-time list. Davies appeared at Rugby World Cups 2011 and 2019 but missed the 2015 tournament after rupturing a knee ligament.

13 – The shirt he has worn with distinction and pride for most of his career.

16 – The first of Davies’ 16 tries came in his second cap, the centre scoring a brace against the USA in a 48-15 win for Wales in Chicago.

17 – Tests without a try. Davies’ last try was against Georgia at Rugby World Cup 2019.

45 – Over the course of their careers, Davies and Jamie Roberts played together 45 times for Wales. It puts them joint-third on the all-time partnerships list, only trailing Ireland's Brian O’Driscoll/Gordon D’Arcy and the New Zealand pair of Ma’a Nonu/Conrad Smith.

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