Mike Phillips - Post 6nations

A scrumhalf has not split opinion like this for a long, long time.

Before and during the 6nations, he had a lot of abuse thrown at him for the way he was playing, his passing in particular. Comparisons to Bergamasco at 9, him being an /extra flanker' and some 'great rugby player but not a scrumhalf in a million years' and so on.

So I thought I'd ask, after some heads have cleared form the 6nations hangover, whats your opinion on Mike Phillips and why?

Best Scrum Half in NH....Will be a Lions test starter.

No other scrum half like him.

Why? He is world class.

Mikes marmite - I don' think you'll get any change - I just like Marmite

He's not perfect but he brings something extra to the team. At the moment Id say he's the form SH in Britain and Ireland and will have a Lions spot.

I take some of what I said back- Phillips had a great game and proved that used in the right way he is a dangerous weapon. Not convinced he is the best options vs Australia at all though, but he should still Tour

Mike Phillips is the best 8.5 in the NH

whocares wrote:Mike Phillips is the best 8.5 in the NH

This has got to be my favourite description of Mike Phillips ever.

I'll give my view on him, and it hasnt really ever changed.

He's very, very important to Wales because of how they play and the inexperience of their current batch of 10's.

He ran the gameplan from 9 this 6nations, Biggar was used to kick it (90% of the time it felt like) or get the backs going. He wasn't really the guy running the show, that was Phillips. Because of this I think a lot of Wales' "slow ball" wasn't sped up so Wales could set their forwards and keep possession.

However, when he did have the chance to spread the ball quickly, up until the England game, he failed at this, pretty miserably.

In the England game you saw what a confident Phillips can do with the ball, his passing is generally good, I find its a bit wayward/slow when his confidence is down but when he really fancies it I think he can outplay all 9's in the world, mainly because his physical attributes are consistently excellant and when he's on his game, he can walk over opposing 9s.

Personally, I wouldn't think he'll be very important to the lions, although it'll depend on Gatlands gameplan. He was very, very good on the last lions tour. I'd like to see Wales develop a backup 9 with an alternative gameplan as when plan A isnt working or Mike isnt on fire, we tend to struggle.

Same as ever - very good at what he does but average at best at getting the ball moving. I would have him way down the list of SH for the lions.

It was painful watching him against england - so slow to the ruck, then look up once there, then reach for the ball, then wave at players, then pick the ball up take two steps then a poor pass Arrggghhhhhhhh.

Wales would be so much more effective with a SH who gave a quick pass. Philips is so slow the defense has time to reset. The replacement that came on for the last few mins was so much quicker

So Phillips can't get the backline moving and Wales are the top try scorers again

Ruby....

you took the words right out of.....etc

Mike will start the Lions tests. That is a guarantee.

Just live with it and back him.

ok.

Great Minds Gower

why sad ruby? You should be ecstatic to think the same as me...

RubyGuby wrote:So Phillips can't get the backline moving and Wales are the top try scorers again

Yes - with a SH with a decent pass you would have had twice as many. You could see gaps close while he made up his mind who to pass to.

no no no TJ

the OP asked for opinions thats mine. He is flawed by the slowness of his passing and the slowness between his ears

no no no TJ

The Lions will lose if Philips plays at 9. His style doesn't suit playing against Southern Hemisphere rugby, he's fine (or better) at NH stuff.

Mikes Service was lightning on Saturday.

Best 9's from each era..

Gareth Edwards
Rob Jones
Joost
Mike Phillips

cp10 wrote:The Lions will lose if Philips plays at 9. His style doesn't suit playing against Southern Hemisphere rugby, he's fine (or better) at NH stuff.

Do you lnow what rugby is? Did you even see the 2009 tour?
I can't believe what you just wrote.

howley was better than joost, and healey was better than howley.

gowershowerpower wrote:howley was better than joost, and healey was better than howley.

Healey was James hook crossed with shane williams.

Lightning utility player.

Service was lightening - have you ever seen a real SH play? His service was slow by any standards but his.

in the 09 tour he was shown up and cost us a test win by taking the ball into contact rather than passing.

but a very annoying bar steward...

...as is TJ

Comfort wrote:

whocares wrote:Mike Phillips is the best 8.5 in the NH

This has got to be my favourite description of Mike Phillips ever.

agreed

I've seen too many crap performances to change my mind, don't rate him any more highly than a number of other flawed NH SHs including Youngs and Care. All of them can produce a performance some of the time but none of them are stand out. Sorry.

t1000advancedprototype wrote:

cp10 wrote:The Lions will lose if Philips plays at 9. His style doesn't suit playing against Southern Hemisphere rugby, he's fine (or better) at NH stuff.

Do you lnow what rugby is? Did you even see the 2009 tour?
I can't believe what you just wrote.

Did we win the 2009 tour? do you watch SH rugby? did you see wales 2012 summer tour?

Against England I think we saw glimpses of Phillips at his best and his , 1 of yesterdays tries Mike created with a lovely fast pass that cut out the whole of the england midfield defence.

Whilst on Englands 5m line 3 times Phillips took it upon himself to go for the line with forwards and backs set and ready which in turned slowed us up but luckily we got penalty's awarded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=712xIlgVhk0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The tipuric performance should come as no surprise either

If I was a 6' 4" scrum half and was 5 m from the line, I too would go for it.....as would any professional, top ranking playing worth his salt. you have to back yourself in those situations or you may as well booger off...

Then I thinkyou would be wrong when there were better options outside him. It's often his size that causes him to make bad decisions though they sometimes pay off.

i am never wrong H...

ask anyone.

Sorry, forgot that, I take it all back. Is it like having a Welsh Pope and that papal infallibility stuff?

no worries mate...

it can't be helped.

x

Sorry but i'm with TJ on this, does what he does very well but there are better SHs available. I'd still take him though, as he offers a different option, he was useful against SA in the 09 tour because of his physicality, however against Australia and Genia, he is not the right option as many of wales' recent encounters have shown.

He has it in his head that he's a giant on the pitch (for a scrum half this is true) but he still has nothing on true forwards. I've seen it happy plenty of times in Wales games, where they have made a break and he just needs to get it out wide and exploit the huge overlap for an easy try. What does he do? Looks up then tries to run through 2 forwards by the ruck, ball gets slowed down, opportunity lost.

Great for tight forward orientated rugby, but lacking for a faster more expansive game. With a quality side at our disposal I'd pick him against someone like SA but not Australia. Given that I think we're going to be seriously outclassed in the backs this summer though our best chance is going to hope we can get some forward domination, so I'd start him. If Oz play the game they want however I think Genia will have him in his back pocket again.

Shane Williams on Scrum V stated Mike is like having two players on the park an extra flanker as well as a back and Tipuric is the same he can play anywhere in the back line.

I thought his distribution was much better than it has been in a long long time. It was fast and very accurate. When he went to pass it to Biggar for that drop goal, i just assumed Biggar would either be taking it off his toes or above hsi head. In fact, Phillips threw an inch perfect pass allowing for Biggar to slot home the drop goal.

He offers great intensity and crucially for me, he is a big match player. When he's called upon for the big matches, he answers. Lions, Ireland world cup and France the guy knows what to do on the big occasion. Yes his distribution can still be worked on and I still prefer Care if i'm honest for the Lions but Mike is no doubt a very good scrum half and at the moment I would start him for the Lions with Care to come on in the last 15-20 when the game opens up.

Mike is a big game player and that is exactly what the Lions need. I have read a number of people saying that the would take Phillips, lloyd Williams and Greg Laidlaw. I would say that would be good though I would take England's Ben Youngs over Williams.

Youngs didn't have a great day last Saturday, he doesn't when his pack aren't on the front foot. But he doe have a great skill set needed to play against top International teams.

"In fact, Phillips threw an inch perfect pass allowing for Biggar to slot home the drop goal."

Both passes for both drop goal attempts were fine, but if people want to criticise, they still will as they did loop a little en route to Biggar (ie, they weren't fast and flat passes).

I rate him as a scrum half and I think he gets a lot of unfair criticism. His defence is fantastic too, which puts him above other contenders (in my opinion).

Phillips, Youngs and AN Other possibly someone who didn't feature in the 6 Nations

I've stood by him throughout his career. The people slagging him off are just regurgitating tedious cliche's and do not come across as knowledgable rugby fans in the slightest. He isn't world class and has some flaws like many players but his strengths far outweigh them. He has shown it time and time again.

The Scots in particular were aiming some absurd vitriol his way pre-Scotland vs Wales game and were adamant Laidlaw was going to teach him a lesson. Needless to say none of it happened and they've all been ashamed to admit they were wrong. Poor character from you guys.

Phillips is not and never will be the complete scrum half. He is a proven big match player, does what he does well and can be a match winner. He has suited Wales' style in recent years - particularly since we have not (other than a brief spell from Priestland) found a top international class 10. I have seen some awful performances from him, but we have not developed anyone to take his place and when he's not in the starting lineup my confidence is lower. His performance on Saturday was probably his best in a Welsh shirt.

In all seriousness, only Youngs or Laidlaw will threaten Phillips starting the first Lions test and I think it unlikely that Gatland will pick them although both could play themselves into contention. Like him or not it would be a foolish pundit who bet money against Phillips wearing the 9 shirt come 22nd June.

Morganwegg - show one post where that was done. No one "aiming some absurd vitriol his way" and no one "were adamant Laidlaw was going to teach him a lesson"

Put up or shut up.

Your continual tiresome trolling spoils these boards. No one can make the tiniest criticism of anything welsh without you massively over reacting, you continually spoiut nasty bitter bile but think it acceptable.

so - back up those claims or shut up.

TJ, it's on the Scotland vs Wales match thread that got locked. You were actually one of ones saying he would get taught a lesson by Laidlaw. Gee wiz unsporting and still not a fan of the truth. Poor character!

Post up - I never said that at all. So lets see the quote. I know what I said.

Put up or shut up

TJ wrote:

Your continual tiresome trolling spoils these boards. No one can make the tiniest criticism of anything welsh without you massively over reacting, you continually spoiut nasty bitter bile but think it acceptable.

You're accusations are getting beyond now, I think the mods need to have a word with you. Your second statement is very ironic. There was a post Scotland vs Wales match thread where some Wales fans gave a fair and accurate critique of the Scotland team where you lot overreacted. Some even responded by attacking the Wales team and again, bringing up irrelevant statistics. Did make me laugh to be honest.

TJ wrote:Post up - I never said that at all. So lets see the quote. I know what I said.

Put up or shut up

Well go and find the thread then I just named it for you! It was you, Riskysports, fa and a couple others, maybe Radge. I'm not bothered about it after you were all made to eat humble pie I just thought it was necessary to mention it on this thread.