MIKE PHILLIPS: GERRY THORNLEYmeets the powerful scrumhalf. His game and confidence were tested last week – and both passed the test with flying colours

THERE’S AN edge to Mike Phillips, especially on the pitch. He’s not exactly the shy or retiring type, nor does he lack in self-confidence. His Wales coach Warren Gatland admits his scrumhalf’s on-field confrontational temperament can be a concern, but when riled continuously last week Phillips reputedly responded by telling Pierre Spies he was useless and came within a whisker of a try before eventually giving the Lions a chance of victory.

There were criticisms of Phillips for punching the ball away in celebration after scoring. But that goes with the feisty adrenalin that enabled him to see the gap, dummy and score. Phillips made two breaks and came within an inch or two of two tries. That shows class. Had the first effort been awarded he could even have put Matt Dawson’s outrageous dummy and try in the first test in Cape Town a dozen years ago in the shade. He could have been the hero.

Ask Gatland about his scrum-half and the Lions assistant coach smiles and pauses for a few seconds. “Probably the most cocky, confident rugby player I have ever met in my life,” he says. “But I’m saying that in a real positive way. He really has a lot of self-belief and when he’s on top of his game I think he’s very good.

“He’s a good threat, a real threat. People try and make a bit of a criticism about him in that he does pick up and take a bit of a step, but we’re comfortable with that because he poses a threat around the fringes as well. The complete opposite is someone like (Peter) Stringer, who just sweeps, sweeps. He’s not a threat around the fringes.

“He’s (Phillips) got a very good pass, a very good kicking game, he’s physical. You want him to keep his head, but he’s the one guy who got into them (the Springboks).”

Nor does the step Phillips takes seem to bother his Wales and Lions halfback partner Stephen Jones: “He’s a fantastic athlete, we can all see that, his distribution is very, very good and he’s been in great form on this tour,” says the outhalf. “He’s working hard on his game, the coaches demand the best out of him and he knows the gameplan.”

A lively character? Jones also smiles. “He’s a good man. I’ve known him for a lot of years and Mike is probably different to what you see on a rugby pitch. He’s quite bullish and boisterous on the pitch, but off it he’s very laid-back and he’s a good man and good fun.”

Phillips seemed to be one of the Lions players targeted by the Boks, verbally anyway, especially by Bakkies Botha, who was having a fairly constant dialogue with the the scrumhalf.

“Yeah, there was a bit of banter out there,” says Phillips. “I really enjoy it, I enjoy the confrontation and I enjoy the chat. It just gets me more up for it, to be honest, and more focused and switched on.”

He admits he copes with it better now than he might have two or three years ago. “It’s just part and parcel of growing up, isn’t it? Having more experience and more game time, being part of big games, it’s just part and parcel of getting older.”

As for what Botha was saying to him, Phillips joked: “I think he fancies me, yeah. He was going on about my sexy blue eyes or something. I don’t know what he was on about. I didn’t have any comment back, to be honest. He was trying to put me off my game. I was getting a bit worried at times,” he says, with a hint of sarcasm.

“But I think the respect was there for each other after a bit of banter and a lot of effort had gone in.”

It was all part of a new, heightened Test match experience against the world champions and playing his first Test for the Lions.

“There’s no time or space on the field and you’re playing against the best and they’re on top of you. You’ve got to make decisions very quickly and you’ve got to be on top of your game. They’re looking to put pressure on you all the time. This is the pinnacle and if you can perform at this level then you’re an excellent player.

“That’s what I’m looking to do, to show everyone I can perform.”

The 26-year-old was banging on the keys to the number nine jersey behind Dwayne Peel for a few years, despite having made his Test debut in 2003 against Romania at Wrexham, when, at 6ft 3in, he became the biggest scrumhalf ever to play for Wales.

Originally at the Scarlets, he switched to Cardiff Blues before joining the Ospreys three seasons ago. A match-winning-try scorer against England at Twickenham in Wales’ 2008 Grand Slam, he has made the number nine jersey his own in the red of Wales and the Lions.

You put it to him that Rob Howley described Fourie du Preez as the best scrumhalf in the world and he is a little indignant that his coach and fellow Wales scrumhalf used those words.

“He’s a World Cup winner and he’s an excellent player. He was certainly felt in the sharp last week; whether he’s the best in the world, I don’t know. Obviously you’ve got a lot of respect for him. It’s great to be competing against high quality players and see where you are yourself as a player. I hope I’m there or thereabouts myself.”

Later, one-to-one, like most players he’s more relaxed and revealing. It’s ironic to think this is almost an Irish/Welsh side in make-up – indeed it equals the record joint representation in a starting Lions Test side from the two countries – when one recalls Gatland’s barbs before the Six Nations shoot-out last March.

In any event, they’re the best of buddies now. “It’s been an honour and it’s been great getting to know them,” says the scrumhalf with a smile at some of the off-field memories, and he is more effusive than an at any time during the interview

“I’ve roomed with ‘Rog’ and he’s great craic. We’ve a bit of banter on the field in the past and he’s a great bloke and it’s been great getting to know him. Paul, what a captain he is. He’s inspirational, awesome, he leads the way and his speeches are great. And all the Irish boys are great company.”

The observations about O’Connell reinforce the strong words of support from O’Gara earlier in the week, but while it’s one thing hearing it from a Munster and Irish friend and team-mate, it’s something else to hear it from Phillips, and unsolicited.

“He’s tremendous, to be honest, and every time he speaks the boys have got huge respect for him. He’s played really well and he’s led the boys tremendously well on this tour.”

Phillips hails from a small town in Pembrokeshire in west Wales called Whitland. The nearby village of Bancyfelin produced another Lion, Delmi Thomas, who played in the same side as Willie John McBride a few times.

His parents, Trevor and Morfydd, reared the family on a dairy farm, and Mike was the third of three boys after Mark and Robert. “I didn’t really enjoy it, to be honest, and I couldn’t wait to get to the city,” he admits with a smile, then jokes: “I had two brothers and I think I was the mistake.”

Mark played rugby and Trevor boxed. “Sport was always big in my family and my father loved it, and loves his rugby and brought us along.”

Rugby was always the youngest boy’s first love too. He began playing at six or seven, in his Welsh-speaking school and St Clear’s RFC.

“I played scrumhalf for my club and flanker for my school for years. In the week I’d play flanker and then at the weekends I’d play scrumhalf. When you’re young you just want to play. I don’t think you ever really get to know your position until you’re 17 or 18.”

Being a former flanker with an older brother who boxed hardly comes as a surprise given the physical, confrontational way he plays.

“I enjoy the physical part of the game, I enjoy having a big influence on the game. It’s all about everyone chipping in and doing the work. If you’re got a scrumhalf who can tackle and take it on it’s a benefit to the side.”

Comparisons with du Preez would probably not flatter any direct opponent. As Howley explained, the South African does seem to think two or three seconds ahead of everyone else on the pitch, and manages to sweep the ball away without taking a step or taking a look for his receiver or for a gap, yet combines this with a razor-sharp running threat of his own and a fantastic kicking game. Stuart Barnes, for one, hails him as the best in the world.

But Phillips not only lived with him last week, he ultimately became one of the game’s most influential players and very nearly its match-winner.

“I’m never fully happy with the way I play in any match,” he admits, “but on the whole I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and I’m really pleased with the way I’m playing.

“I was delighted to score last week. It’s a huge honour to get there. A lot of people are supporting you and it’s great. We came so close and I thought we were going to come back and win. We showed great heart and I think we’ve got to be confident going into this week now.”

Phillips made 80-plus passes in the first Test, more than the Springboks team put together, all of which of course merely added to the frustration of not winning.

“We’re desperate to get out there again and prove to everyone again we’re a quality outfit. We’re very honoured to be wearing the jersey and representing the great people back home. We’re very grateful to everyone who has come over here to support us, it’s been outstanding and we just want to put a massive effort in again.”

The way he describes his foes today, he could be describing himself: “The South Africans are very confident, they totally believe in themselves and you can’t take a backward step. You gotta get in their faces, you gotta meet fire with fire and we’re going to have to up it again this week.

“It’s a massive game and we’ve got to show how much we want it. We’re all very passionate and very proud people, and we’ve got to go out and show it.”

You remind him one last time of Howley’s description of du Preez and suggest it annoyed him a little, and he laughs. “I’ve got confidence in my own ability. We all want to be the best in the world and I’m working very hard so hopefully one day people will be saying I’m the best in the world.”