Personal information
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Full name | Benjamin Lewis Jones | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Gorseinon, Glamorgan, Wales |
11 April 1931 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information
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Rugby union
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Position | fullback, centre, wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league
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Position | Utility back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Benjamin Lewis Jones (born 11 April 1931) is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league footballer of the mid-20th century, a dual-code rugby international. He won nine caps for Wales at fullback, centre and wing before turning professional and playing rugby league for Leeds (Heritage № 896) and Great Britain. Rugby league historian Robert Gate has described Lewis Jones as "arguably the most devastating attacking back Wales has ever produced." His acceleration over the first few yards allowed him to penetrate almost any defence in the mid-1950s.
Born Saturday, 11 April 1931, in Gorseinon, Glamorgan, Lewis Jones was educated at Gowerton Grammar School and played club rugby for Neath before undertaking his national service in the Navy. After leaving the Navy he joined Llanelli. He won his first cap for Wales against England in 1950. This was a match Jones might easily have missed, as he had been about to depart for Hong Kong on board an aircraft carrier until the orders were countermanded on discovering that he was a rugby player. The same year he played for the British Lions, being flown out as a replacement for an injured player on the tour to New Zealand and Australia and playing in three test matches. He scored 63 points in seven games in New Zealand and 16 points against Australia in Brisbane.