The opening half of the 1976 and 1978 Grand Slams died on Sunday at the age of 73.
He was, along with his predecessor at the opening of the Leek XV, Barry John, scrum-half Gareth Edwards and full-back JPR Williams, one of the four legends of Welsh rugby. Phil Bennett had 29 selections from 1969 to 1978, signing two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1978, with Wales.
He earned his starting stripes in the 1973 Tournament, with the retirement of Barry John, and formed a memorable hinge with Gareth Edwards, who led the Welsh to the Grand Slam in 1976. The following year, Bennett made rugby history with a pre-match chat addressed to his teammates before receiving the English at Arms Park. “Look what those bastards did to Wales. They stole our coal, our water, our steel. They buy our houses and only live there two weeks a year. What did they give us? Absolutely nothing. We are exploited, violated, dominated and punished by the English, and they are the ones you face this afternoon“, he launches in the locker room. That day, the Welsh will win 14-9…
His performances in the Lions jersey also did a lot for his notoriety. In 1974, he was in charge during the British Lions’ victorious tour of South Africa. He played the four test matches there and scored 26 points. A year earlier, Phil Bennett made history forever with an exceptional action.
He throws a recovered ball 10 meters from his line for a try scored by Gareth Edwards after only two minutes of play against New Zealand. In 2005, Phil Bennett was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Born a few kilometers from Llanelli, Phil Bennett had spent his entire career in the Scarlets jersey, playing 413 matches for more than 2,500 points scored.
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