MIKE Phillips may still be getting to grips with his French verbs, but his self-belief remains towering in any language.

This week, the Bayonne-based scrum half was asked if Ireland's Conor Murray was out of the same mould as him; that is, big and powerful, with a relish for taking on opposition back rows.

Phillips's response was delivered laughingly, but it confirmed a faith in his own ability that has never wavered. "I like to think I'm one of a kind," he said.

Few would argue with his right to feel good about himself.

Unavailable for the game with Australia in December, he has returned to the Wales set-up with his stock at an all-time high after a World Cup when he played as well as any scrum-half in the tournament.

Just four months earlier his international career had appeared in jeopardy after images of a boozy night out in Cardiff found their way on to the internet, resulting in him being dropped from the Wales squad with a warning that one more false step could see him axed for good.

He responded with the form of his life, his relish for the big occasion bringing the best out of him, just as it did when he toured South Africa with the Lions two years earlier. Jamie Roberts was named man of the series then but there were many judges who felt the accolade should have gone to Phillips.

At 29, he is at the peak of his powers, a player who has won a Grand Slam with Wales, starred for the Lions and performed superlatively at a World Cup.

Ireland will be particularly wary of him on Sunday after his performance against them in New Zealand. They will remember how they worked their way back into the quarter-final in Wellington and at 10-10 seemed to have momentum.

But then Phillips took the game by the scruff with a wondrous try that saw the former Osprey defy gravity and avoid touch with his dive in the corner. The game changed because Phillips wanted it to. If that isn't the hallmark of a world-class player, then what is?

In that very instant, he underlined his immense worth to Wales, and there are some who believe he has now earned the right to be considered among the great Wales No. 9s — with Phillips no doubt himself among them.

But where does he stand? Former Wales scrum-half and captain Clive Rowlands, who coached the national team, acknowledges Phillips's standing in the modern game and says he has proved himself to be a huge asset to Wales over the past five years.

"It is hugely difficult to compare players from different eras, but clearly in the modern game Mike Phillips has done a lot and for that he deserves praise," said Rowlands.

"He doesn't have a great technical game. His passing and kicking are not great, so the purists will always criticise.

"But as a competitor he is on a par with any scrum half ever — and that includes Gareth Edwards.

"He had a big World Cup and showed he could perform on the big stage. He has also done it with the Lions. Let's hope he does it again for Wales against Ireland this weekend."

Max Boyce may have lauded the output of the mythical Welsh outside-half factory but he could equally have paid homage to the prodigious production of scrum-halves this side of the Severn Bridge, with Phillips only the latest in a long line to attain world-class standing.

"You could argue that Wales have produced as many brilliant scrum-halves as outside-halves," said Rowlands.

"For me, Edwards remains not just the best scrum-half but the best player of all time. If he was around now he would win 150 caps.

"He had it all — marvellous skill, power, a razor-sharp brain and the ability to score tries. The outside-halves who featured in the same teams as he did, like Barry John, Phil Bennett and John Bevan, all relished playing outside him.

"If I were drawing up a list of top three Welsh scrum-halves I have seen, Edwards would be top, Terry Holmes second and Robert Jones third.

"Holmes was simply a mighty player. He featured in Welsh sides that had lost players to rugby league, so the packs were not always the strongest, but he rarely had a bad game. He had huge strength and carried many of the teams he played in, while Robert had the best service of the lot, better even than Edwards because he could pass off both hands equally well.

"Welsh rugby has never been short of quality scrum-halves. Chico Hopkins and Clive Shell were superb players, while before them Aberavon had a top No. 9 in Tony O'Connor and Swansea used to have Haydn Tanner.

"If you were putting a top ten together Dwayne Peel would definitely be in it, along with Robert Howley. David Bishop? He played the game in a certain way and was good at what he did. In many ways, he played a similar game to the one I played. He was a kicking scrum-half who worked his pack well. In club terms he had few betters, but international rugby is a step up."

Rowlands added: "I quite rate the young boys coming through now. Rhys Webb is sharp at the Ospreys, while at the Blues Lloyd Williams is dynamite in the making. He is snappy, bright and has a good service."

How does Rowlands view the game with Ireland on Sunday? "If we can win it, we will be in for a big campaign," he said.

"Injuries have affected our build-up and the Irish provinces are playing at a faster pace than the Welsh regions, so it won't be easy.

"But if the players we select are fit, of course Wales have a chance.

''We always have a chance."