Lewis Jones (rugby footballer)

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Benjamin Lewis Jones (born 1932 in Gorseinon) is a former Welsh rugby union player who won 9 caps for Wales at full back, centre and wing before turning professional and playing rugby league for Leeds and Great Britain.

Lewis Jones was educated at Gowerton Grammar School and played club rugby for Neath before doing 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 and Irish 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.

In November 1952 he signed for Leeds rugby league club for a record £6,000. A broken arm prevented him having much impact in his first season but in 1953-54 he scored 302 points and in the 1956-57 scored a record 496 points. In 1960-61 he played a great part in Leeds' first Championship.

The acclaimed 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 was stunning, allowing him to penetrate almost any defence and enabling him in the mid 1950s to become the greatest star in the game.

He won 15 caps for Great Britain at rugby league, scoring in every game he played. He toured Australia in 1954 and played in the 1957 World Cup. He spent six years as a player-coach in Australia. A schoolteacher by profession, he later taught mathematics in Leeds.

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