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Welsh rugby icon Phil Bennett dies aged 73

By PA
Bobby Charlton CBE shakes hands with former rugby player Phil Bennett OBE (Getty Images)

Ex-Wales and British and Irish Lions fly-half Phil Bennett has died at the age of 73, his former club Scarlets have announced.

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Bennett, affectionately known as ‘Benny’, played 413 times for Llanelli RFC from making his debut as an 18-year-old to his final appearance in 1981, captaining the side for six years of his 15-year spell.

Regarded as one of Wales’ greatest ever players, he won 29 caps for his country between 1969 and 1978, winning two Five Nations Grand Slams and three Triple Crowns.

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Paying tribute to Bennett on their website, the Scarlets said in a statement: “A player with stardust in his boots, he possessed a sidestep that would mesmerise defenders — his jinking run to spark ‘the greatest try ever scored’ for the Barbarians against New Zealand in Cardiff in 1973 will live long in rugby folklore.”

The statement went on to quote Bennett’s former club captain and Wales and Lions team-mate Delme Thomas, who said: “He was the best fly-half I have ever seen on a rugby field.”

Scarlets executive chairman Simon Muderack said: “As a club, region and community, we are devastated by this news.”

Reflecting on Bennett’s key role in Llanelli dominating the domestic scene, including four Welsh Cup triumphs in the 1970s, he continued: “Wherever the Scarlets travel around the world, people mention the name Phil Bennett.

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“He was an icon of our sport, a rugby superstar, but someone who always remembered his roots. There was no finer ambassador of Scarlets Rugby than Phil, a player respected across the rugby world, both during his career and long after he finished playing.

“Phil was a hero and friend to so many people, not only in Llanelli and West Wales, but throughout the game and I am sure a lot of Scarlets supporters will have their own particular stories of the times they met and chatted to ‘Benny’.

“He loved the club and epitomised the values we hold true — humility and pride in our community.

“On behalf of everyone at the Scarlets, we send our heartfelt condolences to Pat, Steven, James and all of Phil’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”

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Bennett’s first Lions tour was to South Africa in 1974 and he was at the heart of what was regarded as the greatest rugby tour in history.

The tourists won 21 of their 22 matches and the Test series 3-0, with one game drawn, and the squad became known as ‘The Invincibles’, with Bennett top-scoring with 103 points.

He was captain for the tour to New Zealand three years later in a series the hosts won 3-1, but Bennett again top-scored with 125 points.

Paying tribute to Bennett on their website, the Lions said: “The fly-half is widely recognised as one of the all-time greats of the game and dazzled in both the red of Wales and red of The British & Irish Lions at the height of his career in the 1970s.”

Born in the Carmarthenshire village of Felinfoel on October 24, 1948, Bennett’s father Les worked in the local steelworks until he suffered an industrial accident.

His mother Mary worked at a car-pressing plant to make ends meet as the young Bennett and step-brother Oliver heard Les recite tales of his beloved Llanelli RFC.

Bennett was often sickly as a child and his father was told on one hospital visit that his diminutive son would “never have the physique to play rugby”.

So football seemed a better option and Bennett’s performances for Llanelli Schoolboys drew admiring glances from several clubs and a contract offer from Swansea Town.

However, Bennett chose to play rugby with his friends at Felinfoel Youth and soon developed under the coaching genius of Carwyn James at Llanelli.

Bennett made his Wales debut in March 1969 against France in Paris, replacing the injured Gerald Davies to become the first Welsh substitute in international rugby.

He played in several positions, including full-back and centre, in those early years, with his path to his favourite outside-half spot blocked by the brilliant Barry John.

But John’s shock retirement in 1972 at the age of 27 allowed Bennett to fill the most revered of Wales shirts – the number 10 jersey.

The most memorable of Bennett’s 413 appearances for Llanelli – for whom he scored 2,532 points in 16 seasons – came on October 31, 1972 when New Zealand were famously conquered 9-3 at Stradey Park.

Welsh entertainer Max Boyce’s tribute recalled “how the pubs ran dry” in the west Wales town after that victory, and he name-checked Bennett as one of the players “all the little babies in Llanelli” would be christened after.

In 1973, playing for the Barbarians against New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park, Bennett produced probably the most famous three sidesteps in the history of rugby.

Recovering the ball near his own try-line, Bennett evaded four All Blacks to start the move which led to Gareth Edwards’ length-of-the-field score. It has since been dubbed ‘rugby’s greatest try’.

Bennett’s form earned him selection for the Lions’ tour of South Africa in 1974, and he was at the heart of what was regarded as the greatest rugby tour in history.

The tourists won 21 of their 22 matches and the Test series 3-0, with one game drawn, and the squad became known as ‘The Invincibles’.

Bennett, fondly known as ‘Benny’ throughout rugby, scored 103 points on the tour, including a breath-taking sidestepping solo try from deep in the second Test.

His importance to the Lions cause was so great that, after picking up an injury, skipper Willie John McBride, the second row strongman from Ireland, literally carried him around for several days to stop him going home.

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Bennett played a key role in Wales’ 1976 Grand Slam success and became captain after Mervyn Davies suffered a brain haemorrhage while playing for his club side Swansea.

Although mild-mannered and thoughtful, Bennett’s pre-game pep talk before a Five Nations match against England in Cardiff in 1977 stirred Welsh passions and passed into rugby folklore.

“Look what these bastards have done to Wales,” Bennett said. “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? Absolutely nothing. We’ve been exploited, raped, controlled and punished by the English – and that’s who you are playing this afternoon.”

Bennett said later he had given the speech because he had found it difficult to “say something new” to his team-mates.

He was named captain of the Lions’ 1977 tour to New Zealand, but it was to prove an unhappy trip.

The punishing itinerary was over three months long and New Zealand had one of its wettest winters on record. The All Blacks won the Test series 3-1.

Wales won the Grand Slam again – their third such triumph in the 1970s – under Bennett’s captaincy in 1978, and he marked his final game in the 16-7 Championship-sealing victory over France with two tries.

Bennett retired with 210 points in 37 Tests – 29 for Wales and eight for the Lions.

He was awarded an OBE in 1979 for services to rugby and inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

Bennett continued to work for Carmarthenshire County Council and was a respected newspaper columnist and broadcaster on Welsh rugby.

He was also president of his beloved Scarlets and, in April 2022, a statue was unveiled in his honour at Felinfoel.

Bennett is survived by his wife Pat and their two sons Steven and James. He was pre-deceased by his baby son Stuart.

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Jon 20 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 2 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 7 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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