Phil Bennett
Encyclopedia
Phillip Bennett was a Welsh
international rugby union
fly half from 1969 to 1978. His flair and range of tricks, including his famous sidestep and swerve, meant he was a firm favourite with crowds.
, Carmarthenshire
, Bennett made his Wales
debut on the 22 March 1969 against France
in Paris
at the age of 20 when he became the first ever Welsh substitute in international rugby, replacing an injured Gerald Davies
. Initially, Phil played in a number of positions including fullback and centre, but settled in the fly-half position in 1972. He succeeded the legendary Barry John
in that position.
Bennett's form meant that he joined the British Lions
on their famous tour to South Africa in 1974
, scoring 103 points. His 50-yard try against South Africa at Pretoria
on that tour was a career highlight.
Even so, a place in the Wales side
was not guaranteed. In 1975 he was dropped for Aberavon RFC
's John Bevan and made just the one appearance for Wales as a substitute for the injured Bevan in the Murrayfield
Test.
In 1976 Bevan picked up an injury and Bennett was recalled. Following the injury to the then Welsh captain Mervyn Davies
, Bennett took over this role, which resulted in him becoming captain of the British Lions on the 1977 Tour
. In 1977 Phil Bennett's pre-game pep talk
before facing England
produced a memorable quote:
Bennett retired from international rugby union in 1978, having won a total of 29 caps. He played his club rugby at Llanelli RFC
, where he played 16 seasons. He also played 20 times for the Barbarians
, including the famous game against the All Blacks
in January 1973. In that game he was the catalyst for the Gareth Edward's try early in the game that connoisseurs of the game still regard as the finest ever scored. Gathering a bobbling ball that had been kicked high over his head and into his own 22, Phil beat four players with his trade mark sidestep before passing to John (JPR) Williams to launch the move.
Cliff Morgan
's now legendary commentary of the try describes it thus:
This had shortly followed another defining moment in his career when, through an exceptional tactical kicking performance, he helped his beloved Llanelli to a 9-3 victory over the same touring All Blacks in October 1972.
His autobiography is entitled Everywhere for Wales, and he now commentates on the game for television.
In November 2005 Phil Bennett was admitted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
and in 2007 to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
.
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 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...
fly half from 1969 to 1978. His flair and range of tricks, including his famous sidestep and swerve, meant he was a firm favourite with crowds.
Rugby career
Born in FelinfoelFelinfoel
Felinfoel is a small village and community council ward on the River Lliedi on the northern border of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, West Wales, with a population of about 2,000.The Felinfoel Brewery, home of Double Dragon Ale, is the oldest in Wales...
, Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Bennett 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 on the 22 March 1969 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...
in Paris
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
at the age of 20 when he became the first ever Welsh substitute in international rugby, replacing an injured Gerald Davies
Gerald Davies
Thomas Gerald Reames Davies CBE is one of the acknowledged greats of Welsh rugby, playing for the side between 1966 and 1978.-Biography:...
. Initially, Phil played in a number of positions including fullback and centre, but settled in the fly-half position in 1972. He succeeded the legendary Barry John
Barry John
Barry John is a former Welsh rugby union fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s and early 1970s. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC before switching to first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC in 1964...
in that position.
Bennett's form meant that he joined the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
on their famous tour to South Africa in 1974
1974 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1974 the British Lions toured South Africa, with matches in South West Africa and Rhodesia . The tour was a great success, the Lions winning 21 of their 22 matches and drawing the other. After winning the first three test matches, the Lions drew the final test to preserve their unbeaten record...
, scoring 103 points. His 50-yard try against South Africa at Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
on that tour was a career highlight.
Even so, a place in the Wales side
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...
was not guaranteed. In 1975 he was dropped for Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
's John Bevan and made just the one appearance for Wales as a substitute for the injured Bevan in the Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
Test.
In 1976 Bevan picked up an injury and Bennett was recalled. Following the injury to the then Welsh captain Mervyn Davies
Mervyn Davies
Thomas Mervyn "Merv the Swerve" Davies , is a former Welsh rugby union player who won 38 caps for Wales as a No. 8.Davies was born in Swansea, where he attended Penlan County School....
, Bennett took over this role, which resulted in him becoming captain of the British Lions on the 1977 Tour
1977 British Lions tour to New Zealand
In 1977 the British Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand. The Lions played 26 matches, including four internationals against the All Blacks. They lost the series against the All Blacks by three matches to one. The team played as the British Isles in their internationals against the All Blacks...
. In 1977 Phil Bennett's pre-game pep talk
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
before facing England
Cultural relationship between the Welsh and the English
The relationship between the Welsh and English within Great Britain is mostly characterised by tolerance, respect, and an intermixing of people and cultures. However, elements of mutual mistrust or dislike, and occasionally overt racism, also persist. Hatred or fear of the Welsh by the English or...
produced a memorable quote:
Bennett retired from international rugby union in 1978, having won a total of 29 caps. He played his club rugby at Llanelli RFC
Llanelli RFC
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...
, where he played 16 seasons. He also played 20 times for the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
, including the famous game against the All Blacks
All 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....
in January 1973. In that game he was the catalyst for the Gareth Edward's try early in the game that connoisseurs of the game still regard as the finest ever scored. Gathering a bobbling ball that had been kicked high over his head and into his own 22, Phil beat four players with his trade mark sidestep before passing to John (JPR) Williams to launch the move.
Cliff Morgan
Cliff Morgan
Cliff Morgan is a former Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958.-Rugby career:...
's now legendary commentary of the try describes it thus:
Kirkpatrick to Williams. This is great stuff. Phil Bennett covering, chased by Alistair Scown. Brilliant! Oh, that's brilliant! John Williams, Brian Williams, Pullin, John Dawes. Great dummy! David, Tom David, the half-way line. Brilliant by Quinnell. This is Gareth Edwards. A dramatic start. What a score! Oh that fellow Edwards
This had shortly followed another defining moment in his career when, through an exceptional tactical kicking performance, he helped his beloved Llanelli to a 9-3 victory over the same touring All Blacks in October 1972.
His autobiography is entitled Everywhere for Wales, and he now commentates on the game for television.
In November 2005 Phil Bennett was admitted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
International Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
and in 2007 to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
Welsh Sports Hall of Fame
The Welsh Sports Hall of Fame is a charitable organization created to commemorate the sporting achievements and preserve the artifacts of Welsh athletes. It was established in 1980 from the memorabilia collection of Welsh radio announcer G. V. Wynne-Jones...
.