Phil Bennett: Twinkle-toed outside-half who starred for むちの跡s and the Lions
Whenever the word sidestep is uttered in rugby union circles, the dancing feet of Phil Bennett are more than likely to be part of the conversation.
Bennett, who has died at the age of 73, was a twinkle-toed outside-half who sparkled for Llanelli, むちの跡s and the British and Irish Lions ? all of whom he captained with distinction.
Born in the Carmarthenshire village of Felinfoel on October 24, 1948, Bennett’s father Les worked in the 地元の steelworks until he 苦しむd an 産業の 事故.
His mother Mary worked at a car-圧力（をかける）ing 工場／植物 to make ends 会合，会う 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 選択 and Bennett’s 業績／成果s for Llanelli Schoolboys drew admiring ちらりと見ることs from several clubs and a 契約 申し込む／申し出 from Swansea Town.
However, Bennett chose to play rugby with his friends at Felinfoel 青年 and soon developed under the coaching genius of Carwyn James at Llanelli.
Bennett made his むちの跡s debut in March 1969 against フラン in Paris, 取って代わるing the 負傷させるd Gerald Davies to become the first Welsh 代用品，人 in international rugby.
He played in several positions, 含むing 十分な-支援する and centre, in those 早期に years, with his path to his favourite outside-half 位置／汚点／見つけ出す 封鎖するd by the brilliant Barry John.
But John’s shock 退職 in 1972 at the age of 27 許すd Bennett to fill the most 深い尊敬の念を抱くd of むちの跡s shirts ? the number 10 jersey.
The most memorable of Bennett’s 413 外見s for Llanelli ? for whom he 得点する／非難する／２０d 2,532 points in 16 seasons ? （機の）カム on October 31, 1972 when New Zealand were famously 征服する／打ち勝つd 9-3 at Stradey Park.
Welsh 芸能人 Max Boyce’s 尊敬の印 解任するd “how the pubs ran 乾燥した，日照りの” in the west むちの跡s town after that victory, an d he 指名する-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 武器 Park, Bennett produced probably the most famous three sidesteps in the history of rugby.
回復するing the ball 近づく his own try-line, Bennett 避けるd four All 黒人／ボイコットs to start the move which led to Gareth Edwards’ length-of-the-field 得点する／非難する／２０. It has since been dubbed ‘rugby’s greatest try’.
Bennett’s form earned him 選択 for the Lions’ 小旅行する of South Africa in 1974, and he was at the heart of what was regarded as the greatest rugby 小旅行する in history.
The tourists won 21 of their 22 matches and the 実験（する） series 3-0, with one game drawn, and the squad became known as ‘The Invincibles’.
Bennett, 情愛深く known as ‘Benny’ throughout rugby, 得点する／非難する／２０d 103 points on the 小旅行する, 含むing a breath-taking sidestepping 単独の try from 深い in the second 実験（する）.
His importance to the Lions 原因（となる） was so 広大な／多数の／重要な that, after 選ぶing up an 傷害, 船長／主将 Willie John McBride, the second 列／漕ぐ／騒動 strongman from Ireland, literally carried him around for several days to stop him going home.
Bennett played a 重要な 役割 in むちの跡s’ 1976 Grand 激突する success and became captain after Mervyn Davies 苦しむd a brain haemorrhage while playing for his club 味方する Swansea.
Although 穏やかな-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 むちの跡s,” 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? 絶対 nothing. We’ve been 偉業／利用するd, 強姦d, 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 設立する it difficult to “say something new” to his t eam-mates.
He was 指名するd captain of the Lions’ 1977 小旅行する to New Zealand, but it was to 証明する an unhappy trip.
The punishing 旅程 was over three months long and New Zealand had one of its wettest winters on 記録，記録的な／記録する. The All 黒人／ボイコットs won the 実験（する） series 3-1.
むちの跡s won the Grand 激突する again ? their third such 勝利 in the 1970s ? under Bennett’s captaincy in 1978, and he 示すd his final game in the 16-7 選手権-調印（する）ing victory over フラン with two tries.
Bennett retired with 210 points in 37 実験（する）s ? 29 for むちの跡s 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 郡 会議 and was a 尊敬（する）・点d newspaper columnist and 放送者 on Welsh rugby.
He was also 大統領，／社長 of his beloved Scarlets and, in April 2022, a statue was 明かすd in his honour at Felinfoel.
Bennett is 生き残るd by his wife Pat and their two sons Steven and James. He was pre-死んだ by his baby son Stuart.
