Phil Graves and Swanage & Wareham go together like fish and chips.

And the Bestwall boy’s captain, Robert Elford, says: “Long may it last.”

Evergeen centre Graves, a chef off the pitch, has been representing Swans at rugby since the youthful age of five.

He’s now in his mid-30s, but after three decades of distinguished service, is far from ready to hang up his boots.

Ah, the word ‘boots.’ Jonny Wilkinson used his to good effect to break Australia’s hearts with a dramatic match-winning dropped goal for England 26 seconds before the end of extra time in the 2003 World Cup final in Sydney.

Graves has been doing much the same for Swans, clinically sending conversions, penalties and drop goals between the posts week in, week out from September through April for the past 20 years.

The big difference is the Purbeck man has hardly ever been sidelined through injury.

Touch wood that remains the case again on Saturday when Swans host Reading Abbey in a regulation South West One East clash.

You only have to look back to Swans’ previous game, an accomplished 22-13 Dorset & Wilts Cup last-four success over Oakmeadians, to see what Graves brings to the table.

Looking back on a triumph that fixed his side up with a mouth-watering final against Bournemouth, Elford said: “Phil is just so reliable and in last year’s semi-final he was exactly the same.”

Graves coolly slotted over five penalties and one conversion, and Elford said: “None of the kicks he had were easy, but Phil didn’t miss one.

“It was just a fantastic kicking display from him.

“It’s always nice as a player when you get in that sort of territory. You get the penalties and you are always in with a chance of getting points on the board.

“We’re very fortunate to have him in the side, not just because of his boot.

“He’s been involved in all 15 county cup finals we’ve been in since 1995.

“Phil has been there and knows what is involved. He gets the young guys around him going and offers them his experience.

“So it’s not just with his kicking we benefit. It’s what else he offers around the pitch as well.”

Asked whether he felt retirement might not be far away for perhaps Swans’ most loyal star, Elford said: “Phil is in fantastic shape.

“He’s just such a fit bloke. As long as he’s fit, happy and enjoying it, and keen to play, we’ll pick him. It’s as simple as that.

“We have other guys who come in and do a good kicking job on the rare occasions he’s unavailable, lads like Charlie Parish and Johnny Blackmore, but there really is only one Phil Graves.”