Mike Phillips (rugby player)

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Mike Phillips

Date of Birth:

August 29, 1982

Place of Birth:

Carmarthen, Wales

Height:

6ft 4in (1.93m/193cm)

Weight:

14st 9lbs (93Kg/203pound)

Position:

Scrum half

Country:

Wales

Test Caps:

Wales 13

Test Points:

Wales 10

Club:

Cardiff Blues

Previous Clubs:

Camarthen RFC , Llanelli Scarlets

Michael Phillips (born 29 August 1982 in Carmarthen) is a rugby union footballer who plays scrum-half for Cardiff Blues and has represented Wales.

Phillips is an abrasive, aggressive Player, also tall and powerful unusual in a scrum half he has a combative style to his game; because of this people have compared him to ex-Wales International Terry Holmes. Mike is also rated for his physical presence on the field compared to other scrum halfs, good awareness, reaction time and quickness from the base of the scrum, ruck and maul, his defencive skills, his all attacking ability (stamina, speed & quickness, acceleration, agility, explosive power and strength) and his passing and playmaking skills.

Mike Phillips is the tallest scrum half in rugby history standing at 6 foot 4 inches tall (1.93m/193cm)and also weighs 14st 9lbs (89Kg/196pound). Mike started playing as both a blind and open side flanker and is rated for his defencive skills.

He represented Wales at Under 21 where he played with fellow Cardiff player Nicky Robinson. Making his Wales debut against Romania in 2003 where he scored a try. He toured to Argentina and South Africa on the 2004 tour, and scored during the 2005 tour of USA and Canada.

He made his first appearance for the Scarlets aged 20 after moving from the Carmarthen RFC fold and remained there until the summer of 2005. He has since transferred to Cardiff Blues starting most matches; he has gelled well with Nicky Robinson and has crated the platform for the Cardiff backs. His strength and pace saw him get into the Wales squad for the 2006 6 Nations, despite having a poor Autumn International where he started against New Zealand and failed to impress with poor kicks and failed to show his usual play. . His first game came against Italy after Dwayne Peel getting injured in the seventh minute. Then started against France where he played extremely well, picking up the man of the match award despite being the losing side.

After a Great season with the Blues, which really saw him bloom after being Dwayne Peel's understudy for so long he was picked for Wales’s tour to Argentina where he started both tests.