Phil Bennett was born on October 24, 1948 in Felinfoel, Wales. As a Welsh Schoolboy international he landed a 45-yard drop kick to help beat England Under-15’s at Twickenham.
After impressing at fly-half for Llanelli, he made his full Wales debut on March 22, 1969, against France in Paris. He made history by becoming the first substitute ever to come on for his country.
In October 1972, he made his mark with a magnificent tactical kicking display to inspire Llanelli to a famous 9-3 over the touring All Blacks.
In 1973, when making one of 20 appearances for the Barbarians, Bennett’s brilliant jinking run past four players sparked the move which set up one of the most famous tries in the history of the game, for Gareth Edwards to score against New Zealand.
Bennett was picked for the successful British Lions tour of South Africa in 1974, and made a huge impression by scoring 103 points. His 50-yard try against the Springboks was one of the greatest of all-time.
Known for his sidestep and swerve, the Welshman was a firm favourite with crowds all around the world.
In 1976, Bennett took over the captaincy of the Wales national team from Mervyn Davies. He retired from international rugby two years later having won 29 caps.
In November 2005 Bennett was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
