Kelleher faces battle with halfback giant

Byron Kelleher, training with the All Blacks yesterday, comes up against a 1.90m opponent on Sunday. Ross Land / Getty Images

CARDIFF - In the world of rugby halfbacks Welshman Mike Phillips literally stands head and shoulders above his rivals.

The Cardiff Blues No 9 was yesterday chosen by coach Mike Ruddock to oppose Byron Kelleher in the test between Wales and the All Blacks at Millennium Stadium on Sunday (NZ time).

Kelleher may well be seen doing a double take when the teams eyeball each other before kickoff as Phillips stands 1.90m and weighs 95kg.

Even better, his elder brother Mark is a professional boxer and Phillips has a reputation as a fiery character not scared to mix it up in the physical exchanges.

"I think you need that aggression in rugby," Phillips said today.

"Every team needs players who can fire things up during the game.

"I'm very competitive, I want to win every game. What's the point in playing something if you don't try to win?"

While most halfbacks struggle to play any other position, Phillips' size saw him shifted to centre during Llanelli's injury crisis last year, and he even became loose forward cover on the bench.

This season he shifted to Cardiff after deputising for Wales' top halfback Dwayne Peel, and impressed in Wales' tests against Canada and United States.

With Peel losing the race to recover from an achilles tendon injury, Phillips was named ahead of Gareth Cooper, who toured New Zealand with the Lions this year.

"I was a bit surprised by the call-up but I can't wait to play," said Phillips, who has risen through the ranks constantly being compared with 1983 Lions tourist to New Zealand, Terry Holmes, another Welsh halfback of large proportions.

Phillips was eager to take on the combative Kelleher, who is no midget himself at 1.78m and 94kg.

Phillips got a taste of what was to come when he faced former All Blacks No 9 Justin Marshall last month, Cardiff beating Marshall's Leeds 40-13 in the Heineken Cup match.

"It was a great game for me, not just for the result but it was wonderful to play against someone like that.

"Byron is quite a similar player, he plays a strength game as well, and is very experienced. You have to keep an eye on him at all times as he likes to snipe."

Phillips, 23, is the most inexperienced of the Wales starting 15 and will play his seventh test on Sunday after the frustration of sitting on the bench for two of Wales' Six Nations victories this year.

"It's just a dream come true to play the All Blacks," he said.

- NZPA