Outside rugby, Phillips was a Vice Consul to Belgium, and one season he managed 26 appearances for Newport despite working much of that time in Switzerland.
Nicknamed 'Sparrow', due to his very light frame, Phillips was a fly-half noted for his excellent attacking play, but was weak defensively and was a poor kicker.
Under the captaincy of Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, Newport utilised team-mate Fred Parfitt's expert passing to secure the scrum-half berth which linked up with Phillips as a specialised runner.
[1] Phillips was first chosen to represent Wales during the opening game of the 1892 Home Nations Championship, partnered with Penarth's George Rowles.
The game was played away at Blackheath against England, and Rowles and Phillips had been brought in as replacements for the Swansea half-backs brothers Evan and David James.