Phil Bennett was considered to be the finest flyhalf to play for Wales, pivotal to the country’s glory years during the 1970s who became a cult figure due to a grievance-laced pre-match speech before facing England, the old enemy.
His swiveling hips, beautiful passing and spark to play the game expansively followed in the footsteps of Cliff Morgan and Barry John, and set a template for free-flowing Welsh No. 10s for decades to come.
Bennett, who died aged 73 on Sunday, featured 29 times for his country, winning the Five Nations outright on three occasions and started eight Tests for the Lions against South Africa and New Zealand.
Photo: AP
His Test debut made the history books as Bennett, fondly known as “Benny,” was rugby’s first replacement substituting the injured Gerald Davies at center for his international bow as a 20-year-old in the 1969 defeat to France in Paris.
Bennett had to wait until 1973 to start a full Five Nations campaign at outside-half following John’s premature retirement.
With half-back partner Gareth Edwards, regarded as the finest scrumhalf to play the game, the pair led Wales to a Grand Slam title before his rousing pre-game team talk in 1977.
Ahead of facing England, Bennett addressed a Welsh dressing room in the bowels of the National Stadium in Cardiff.
“Look what these bastards have done to Wales. They’ve taken our coal, our water, our steel. They buy our homes and live in them for a fortnight every year. What have they given us?” he said.
“Absolutely nothing. We’ve been exploited, raped, controlled and punished by the English — and that’s who you are playing this afternoon,” Bennett ended before the 14-9 victory.
He retired from Test duty a year later, winning a second Grand Slam with a win over Les Bleus, converting one of his two tries.
His form for Wales and his crucial part in Llanelli’s 9-3 win over New Zealand two years earlier earned him a place on the Lions’ tour to South Africa in 1974.
He scored 103 points during “The Invincibles” trip to the apartheid-hit nation, including a 50m solo effort, which highlighted his ability to embarrass opponents with ball in hand as the representative outfit won 21 out of 22 games before drawing the fourth Test in Johannesburg.
Bennett was named Lions skipper for the 1977 tour to New Zealand, but unlike three years earlier he was without his trusted inside man in the now-retired Edwards and they lost the series 3-1, as well as a one-off Test to Fiji on their way home.
As well as his club, country and the Lions, Bennett played for the Barbarians on 21 occasions, the most famous match being the 1973 victory over the All Blacks where he set up Edwards for a superb try.
Bennett picked up the ball on his own line, side-stepped three Kiwis, before Edwards dived over in the opposite corner for arguably the greatest try ever scored in rugby union.
After hanging up his boots Bennett became an after-dinner speaker, was a pundit for television and radio, and was named president of Llanelli and the Scarlets.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early on Tuesday struck out 11 in five shutout innings to match a franchise record during his MLB debut against the Oakland Athletics. “Pretty sick performance,” teammate Romy Gonzalez said. “It was fun to watch.” The only other Red Sox starter to rack up 11 strikeouts in his first career game was Don Aase versus the Milwaukee Brewers on July 26, 1977. “It was amazing, just to go out there and have that first opportunity,” Early said after getting the win in a 6-0 victory. “A long day of travel yesterday and just getting to the field, seeing
Mikel Merino on Sunday scored a hat-trick as a majestic Spain thumped Turkey 6-0 away in World Cup qualifying, while a brilliant Florian Wirtz free-kick helped Germany beat Northern Ireland 3-1 to get their bid up and running. European champions Spain were in unstoppable form in the central Turkish city of Konya, claiming their second biggest-ever away win in World Cup qualifying as Arsenal midfielder Merino scored his first professional hat-trick. Barcelona playmaker Pedri Gonzalez opened the scoring inside six minutes and later completed the scoring, with Ferran Torres netting the visitors’ other goal. The quality of Merino’s strikes was remarkable, with his
ELEVEN STRIKEOUTS: Blake Snell allowed two singles and two walks against the Rockies as he ended a personal three-game skid with his first win since Aug. 16 Blake Snell on Wednesday struck out a season-high 11 in six innings, while Mookie Betts hit a grand slam in the eighth as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 9-0 for their fourth straight win. Helped by their third series sweep of the Rockies this MLB season, the Dodgers increased their National League West lead to three games over the San Diego Padres, who lost 2-1 at home to the Cincinnati Reds. Betts went four for five with five RBIs, capped by his seventh career slam on a 3-0 pitch from reliever Anthony Molina to make it 8-0. Andy Pages and
SWEDEN BEATEN: Goals in the first half by Elvis Rexhbecaj and Vedat Muriqi were enough to give Kosovo their second-ever win in World Cup qualifying Sandro Tonali’s last-gasp winner on Monday edged Italy to a 5-4 victory over Israel in FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying, while Kosovo beat Sweden despite Alexander Isak making his first appearance of the season. After collapsing from leading 4-2 in the final two minutes to drawing 4-4, Tonali’s 91st-minute strike in the Hungarian city of Debrecen sent Italy above Israel and into the playoff spot in Group I. New coach Gennaro Gattuso’s side trail leaders Norway by three points and still have a chance of taking first place and the group’s sole direct qualifying spot as they seek to avoid missing out
RSS