Mike Phillips (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
William Michael "Mike" Phillips (born 29 August 1982) is a Welsh
international rugby union
rugby player who plays at scrum-half for Bayonne
.
and St Clears
. His middle brother became Welsh amateur boxing
champion before fighting professionally, while his eldest brother Rob was a scrum-half with Whitland RFC
, where Mike also spent his late teenage years as both a blind and open side flanker
.
Phillips then moved to Carmarthen RFC
as a flanker, before playing at scrum-half; at 6 in 3 in (1.91 m), he is one of the tallest scrum halves in international rugby. Being tall and powerful, unusual properties in a scrum half, he also has a combative style to his game. Because of this combination, has been compared to ex-Wales
international Terry Holmes
.
Phillips was dating Welsh singer, Aimee Duffy until May 2011, it is thought that they were together for 20 months.
In October 2008 Phillips was hospitalised after an attack outside a Cardiff
nightclub. In June 2011 he was suspended from the Wales World Cup training squad after a late night incident in Cardiff.
at the age of 20, and remained there in spite of restrictions in first team appearances due to the performances of Dwayne Peel
, until the summer of 2005.
starting most matches, partnering fellow former Welsh Under-21 player Nicky Robinson
.
Justin Marshall
held the role. Following Marshall's departure to Montpellier Hérault RC
, Phillips had the choice to make the position his own but for a knee ligament injury, allowing the emergence of new signing Jamie Nutbrown
to take the role.
.
. In 2003 he made his Wales
debut against Romania
and scored a try. Phillips toured Argentina
and South Africa
in 2004, and also scored during the 2005 tour of the USA and Canada
.
His performances for the Blues saw him get into the Wales squad for the 2006 Six Nations Championship
, despite having a poor Autumn International where he started against New Zealand in a match that ended in a heavy defeat for Wales.
His first game came against Italy
after Dwayne Peel
, who had started the game at scrum-half was injured in the seventh minute. He also started against Les Bleus
where he played extremely well, picking up the man of the match award. After a successful season with the Blues
, he was picked for Wales’s tour to Argentina
where he started both tests.
Phillips made the squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
. He started one match against Japan
in which he scored a try and won the man of the match award. In all the other games he came off the bench. But Wales had a very disappointing tournament, being knocked out by Fiji
in the pool stages.
In 2008, Wales appointed a new coach, Warren Gatland
, who liked Phillips' physical presence. He forced his way into the Welsh team against England
, for the 2008 Six Nations Championship
. He scored the winning try as Wales claimed a 26–19 victory – their first at Twickenham
in 20 years. Phillips started the next match against Scotland
, which Wales won 30–15. Phillips was then replaced by Dwayne Peel
for the match against Italy
; however, he came on after 42 minutes after Peel was injured again, and made a significant impact as Wales thrashed the Azzuri 47–8. Phillips then started the match against Ireland
. Wales made it four from four as they beat the Irish 16–12 to claim the triple crown. Phillips also started against France
, as Wales claimed their second grand slam in four years with a 29–12 victory over Les Bleus. Phillips was one of six players nominated for player of the tournament. But his fellow Ospreys teammate, Shane Williams
, won the award.
A week after the grand slam a knee ligament injury ruled him out for six months, meaning he would miss the tour of South Africa
and the Autumn Internationals
. But Phillips made a strong return and started all five matches in the 2009 Six Nations Championship
. He was named in the team of the tournament, but Wales finished a disappointing fourth after defeats to France and Ireland.
On 21 April 2009, Phillips was named as one of 13 Welsh players for the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
.
And on 10 June 2009 he scored his first try for the Lions, contributing to their 39–3 victory against the Sharks. He also scored a try against the Springboks but the Lions lost 26–21, although they came back strongly after starting the second half 26–7 down. Phillips played in the next test, but the Lions lost again 28–25 thanks to a last-gasp penalty by Morne Steyn
. Phillips played in the final test as well, and was only one of five players to play in all three tests. The Lions won their first test match since 2001 with a crunching 28–9 victory. Phillips' series was superb and he was one of the players of the tour.
On 12 March 2011, Phillips scored a controversial try against Ireland
in the 2011 Six Nations Championship
. When Irish fly-half Jonathan Sexton
kicked the ball out of play, Wales hooker Matthew Rees
proceeded to take a quick line-out with a different ball to the one which Sexton kicked out of play, which is against International Rugby Board
regulations. Rees took the throw and Phillips held off Irish winger Tommy Bowe
to score in the corner. The try was allowed to stand, and Wales won the game 19-13.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
rugby player who plays at scrum-half for Bayonne
Aviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
.
Personal life
The third son of dairy farmer Trevor and teacher Morfydd, Phillips was born and raised on the family farm between BancyfelinBancyfelin
Bancyfelin is a village, west of Carmarthen in West Wales.Bancyfelin is a small village in south west Wales located between St Clears and Carmarthen...
and St Clears
St Clears
St Clears is a small town on the River Tâf in Carmarthenshire, Wales. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of 2,820 people, most of whom are Welsh-speaking, although there is a marked difference between the southern and northern ends of the town in percentage terms.-History:The...
. His middle brother became Welsh amateur boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion before fighting professionally, while his eldest brother Rob was a scrum-half with Whitland RFC
Whitland RFC
Whitland RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Whitland, West Wales. They are the presently members of the Welsh Rugby Union playing in the Division 1 West League and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets..-Early history:...
, where Mike also spent his late teenage years as both a blind and open side flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
.
Phillips then moved to Carmarthen RFC
Carmarthen RFC
Carmarthen Quins Rugby Football Club are one of two Welsh rugby union clubs based in Carmarthen in West Wales, the other being Carmarthen Athletic. They currently play in the Welsh Premier Division league after their promotion to the Premiership in the 2008/2009 season...
as a flanker, before playing at scrum-half; at 6 in 3 in (1.91 m), he is one of the tallest scrum halves in international rugby. Being tall and powerful, unusual properties in a scrum half, he also has a combative style to his game. Because of this combination, has been compared to ex-Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international Terry Holmes
Terry Holmes
Terence David Holmes is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who won 25 caps for as a scrum-half and later played rugby league for Bradford Northern....
.
Phillips was dating Welsh singer, Aimee Duffy until May 2011, it is thought that they were together for 20 months.
In October 2008 Phillips was hospitalised after an attack outside a Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
nightclub. In June 2011 he was suspended from the Wales World Cup training squad after a late night incident in Cardiff.
Llanelli Scarlets
Phillips made his first appearance for the ScarletsLlanelli Scarlets
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Llanelli, south-west Wales the team play at the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, as well as competing in the LV= Cup and the Heineken Cup...
at the age of 20, and remained there in spite of restrictions in first team appearances due to the performances of Dwayne Peel
Dwayne Peel
Dwayne John Peel is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Sale Sharks and Wales. He is the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team....
, until the summer of 2005.
Cardiff Blues
Citing his lack of first team appearances as the main reason, in 2005 Phillips signed for the Cardiff BluesCardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
starting most matches, partnering fellow former Welsh Under-21 player Nicky Robinson
Nick Robinson (rugby player)
Nicholas John Robinson is a Wales international rugby union footballer who plays at fly-half.He is the younger brother of Jamie Robinson...
.
Ospreys
In February 2007, Phillips was linked with a move to the Ospreys, on a basic wage of £180,000 as Cardiff Blues would not break their wage structure. Having signed for the Ospreys, at first he was the second-choice scrum-half as former All-BlackAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
Justin Marshall
Justin Marshall
Justin Warren Marshall, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was born in Mataura and educated in Gore before settling in Christchurch. Marshall played 81 games for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1995 and 2005...
held the role. Following Marshall's departure to Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...
, Phillips had the choice to make the position his own but for a knee ligament injury, allowing the emergence of new signing Jamie Nutbrown
Jamie Nutbrown
Jamie Nutbrown , is a Half-back/Scrum Half for the Ospreys Rugby Union club in Wales, who compete in the Magners League....
to take the role.
Aviron Bayonnais
In June 2011, Phillips left the Ospreys and joined French club BayonneAviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
.
International
Phillips represented Wales at Under 21 level where he played with fellow Cardiff player Nicky RobinsonNick Robinson (rugby player)
Nicholas John Robinson is a Wales international rugby union footballer who plays at fly-half.He is the younger brother of Jamie Robinson...
. In 2003 he made his Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
debut against Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
and scored a try. Phillips toured Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
and South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
in 2004, and also scored during the 2005 tour of the USA and Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
.
His performances for the Blues saw him get into the Wales squad for the 2006 Six Nations Championship
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, despite having a poor Autumn International where he started against New Zealand in a match that ended in a heavy defeat for Wales.
His first game came against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
after Dwayne Peel
Dwayne Peel
Dwayne John Peel is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Sale Sharks and Wales. He is the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team....
, who had started the game at scrum-half was injured in the seventh minute. He also started against Les Bleus
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
where he played extremely well, picking up the man of the match award. After a successful season with the Blues
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
, he was picked for Wales’s tour to Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
where he started both tests.
Phillips made the squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. He started one match against Japan
Japan national rugby union team
The Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
in which he scored a try and won the man of the match award. In all the other games he came off the bench. But Wales had a very disappointing tournament, being knocked out by Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
in the pool stages.
In 2008, Wales appointed a new coach, Warren Gatland
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland is a former New Zealand rugby footballer and the current head coach of the Wales national team.Gatland was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Waikato University...
, who liked Phillips' physical presence. He forced his way into the Welsh team against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, for the 2008 Six Nations Championship
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
. He scored the winning try as Wales claimed a 26–19 victory – their first at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
in 20 years. Phillips started the next match against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, which Wales won 30–15. Phillips was then replaced by Dwayne Peel
Dwayne Peel
Dwayne John Peel is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Sale Sharks and Wales. He is the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team....
for the match against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
; however, he came on after 42 minutes after Peel was injured again, and made a significant impact as Wales thrashed the Azzuri 47–8. Phillips then started the match against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Wales made it four from four as they beat the Irish 16–12 to claim the triple crown. Phillips also started against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
, as Wales claimed their second grand slam in four years with a 29–12 victory over Les Bleus. Phillips was one of six players nominated for player of the tournament. But his fellow Ospreys teammate, Shane Williams
Shane Williams
Shane Mark Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Ospreys and who can also play scrum-half. Williams is the record try scorer for the Wales national team and he is third on the international list of leading Rugby union Test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata...
, won the award.
A week after the grand slam a knee ligament injury ruled him out for six months, meaning he would miss the tour of South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
and the Autumn Internationals
2008 end of year rugby tests
The 2008 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, the Pacific Islanders and Canada tour the northern hemisphere. The tour ended with the traditional 'final challenge' Barbarians match, against Australia, which was the...
. But Phillips made a strong return and started all five matches in the 2009 Six Nations Championship
2009 Six Nations Championship
The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
. He was named in the team of the tournament, but Wales finished a disappointing fourth after defeats to France and Ireland.
On 21 April 2009, Phillips was named as one of 13 Welsh players for the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
The 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
.
And on 10 June 2009 he scored his first try for the Lions, contributing to their 39–3 victory against the Sharks. He also scored a try against the Springboks but the Lions lost 26–21, although they came back strongly after starting the second half 26–7 down. Phillips played in the next test, but the Lions lost again 28–25 thanks to a last-gasp penalty by Morne Steyn
Morne Steyn
Morné Steyn is a South African rugby union player who plays at the Flyhalf position.He plays at number 10 for the Springboks internationally, as well as for the Bulls in the Super 14 and for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup...
. Phillips played in the final test as well, and was only one of five players to play in all three tests. The Lions won their first test match since 2001 with a crunching 28–9 victory. Phillips' series was superb and he was one of the players of the tour.
On 12 March 2011, Phillips scored a controversial try against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
in the 2011 Six Nations Championship
2011 Six Nations Championship
The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy,...
. When Irish fly-half Jonathan Sexton
Jonathan Sexton
Jonathan Sexton , is a rugby union player for Leinster Rugby in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup. Sexton is a nephew of former Garryowen, Munster and Ireland rugby player Willie Sexton.Sexton is registered to St...
kicked the ball out of play, Wales hooker Matthew Rees
Matthew Rees
Matthew Rees is a Wales and British Lions international rugby union footballer who currently plays for the Scarlets in the Celtic League. His usual position is at hooker...
proceeded to take a quick line-out with a different ball to the one which Sexton kicked out of play, which is against International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
regulations. Rees took the throw and Phillips held off Irish winger Tommy Bowe
Tommy Bowe
Thomas John "Tommy" Bowe is an Irish rugby union footballer from County Monaghan, Ireland...
to score in the corner. The try was allowed to stand, and Wales won the game 19-13.
External links
- Ospreys profile
- Wales profile
- Bio at Welsh Rugby UnionWelsh Rugby UnionThe Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
- Bio at Cardiff BluesCardiff BluesCardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....