This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who served in, and survived, The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Jones, John (‘Strand’) played for Wales Internationals: 5 : 1902 E+ (1p) S+ (1c) I+ ; 1903 E+ (3c) S- John Jones was born on 2 December 1877, in Caio, Carmarthenshire Played as a Fullback for: Lampeter School, St David’s College Lampeter, Oxford University (Blue 1899-1901), Llanelli, Liverpool, London Welsh Profession: Chaplain/farmer War service: Army chaplain in India 1909-1926. Remarks: Son of a farmer. Some fifty years after Jones’ international debut, R T Gabe, the Welsh centre, recalled ‘There were eleven selectors at that time. Six voted for Jones and five for H B ‘Bert’ Winfield, the names of the voters appearing in the press . . . Jones played a marvellous game that day. How he got through the game without injury was akin to a miracle. He did not fall on the ball but picked it up and charged through the oncoming forwards with head down. From one of these fearless dashes he ran half the length of the field before passing to me with only Gamlin [the England fullback] to beat. “ I side-stepped the fullback but his hand came into violent contact with my solar-plexus and I was out on my feet, but my momentum carried me over the few yards to the line and then I took the full count!”’ John Jones was ordained as a Deacon in 1903, and then as a Priest in 1904. Chairman of Lampeter RFC 1947-1948. He died on 3 April 1958, in Pyllaucrynion.
Strand-Jones was born on 2 December 1877 in Caio, Carmarthenshire.He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford from 1898 to 1901. He played rugby for Oxford University RFC in 1899 at centre and in 1900 and 1901 at fullback. He made his debut for Wales in the Home Nations Championship against England on 11 January 1902, playing at fullback and scoring a penalty..He also created one of the tries for Wales.He played in the other matches against Scotland (scoring a conversion) and Ireland. Wales won all three matches, winning the championship and the Triple Crown. In the following year, he played against England (scoring a conversion) and Scotland. It was said of Strand-Jones that he made himself one of the "immortals". Strand-Jones was ordained in 1903 and worked as a clergyman in Lahore,India. On retirement, he moved back to Wales to become a farmer near Lampeter. He was chairman of Lampeter Town RFC 1947–48. He died in 1958. One of his former international colleagues, Rhys Gabe, said that Strand-Jones "was always reliable on the field and a gentleman with kindly feelings and high principles off the field" JOHN STRAND JONES Rev John Strand Jones – (1877-1958) (of Pyllaucrynon) Initially a centre he moved to full back whilst at Oxford. Howard Marshall, the official biographer of the University Match up to 1950 wrote; “Strand-Jones moved to full back where he was destined to make himself, as had Tristram and A.R. Smith before him, one of the immortals.” Full International Career: 11th Jan 1902 ENGLAND 8 WALES 9 (Rectory Field, Blackheath) England: Tries : Dobson, Robinson Conv : Alexander Wales: Tries : RT Gabe, Osborne Penalty Goal Strand Jones. 2nd Feb 1902 WALES 14 SCOTLAND 9 (Cardiff Arms Park) Wales: Tries : Willie Llewellyn (2)., RT Gabe (2) Conv : Strand Jones Scotland : Try : Welsh Conv : Gillespie. 8th Mar 1902 IRELAND 0 WALES 15 (Lansdowne Rd, Dublin) Wales: Tries Nicholls, Llewellyn, Llewellyn Lloyd, Conv : Brice PG Nicholls. 10th Jan 1903 WALES 21 ENGLAND 5 (Rectory Field, Blackheath) Wales: Tries Hodges (3), Dickie Owen, Pearson Conv : Strand Jones (3). England: Try Dobson, Conv : Taylor 7th Feb 1903 SCOTLAND 6 WALES 0 (Inverleith, Edinburgh) Scotland: Try : Kyle, Penalty Goal : ATrimms John Strand Jones is the link between the present and the past. Jack Strand Jones gained his first cap against England in 1902 when he replace the great W.J. (“Billy”) Bancroft, and Wales went on to win the Triple Crown. He got into the team despite keen competition from H.B. (“Bert”) Winfield, of Cardiff, who had to wait 2 years before gaining his first of 15 caps. Opposite is the plaque commemorating the Triple Crown which shows many of the players that were to play against the All Blacks in 1905 and form the nucleus of the “First Golden Era” . Strand Jones is third from the right on the bottom line. In his first game he impressed by creating a try for RT Gabe. : “Strand Jones had deceived the English defence by circumventing the pack and carrying on through the team before passing to Gabe who had only to round Gamblin the full-back.” The well-known journalist, W.J T. Collins (“Dromio”), wrote in his book “Rugby Recollections”, published in 1948: “Bancroft had a notable successor in J. Strand Jones, of Llanelly ……He also was unorthodox – he often ran when the ordinary full-back would have punted to touch. To escape opponents who were following up, he ran with a curious sideways movement, breaking with a series of short swerves towards the open side of the field, travelling a dozen or twenty yards to the right without travelling forward more than two or three yards. It was risky, but he was fast, had some of the qualities of a centre threequarter, was very sturdy, and was accurate in his kicking after he had eluded following-up forwards, while he occasionally linked up successfully with his threequarters to start an unexpected attack. Unfailing in courage, he would go down to the ball in front of the fierest rush ; but more noteworthy was his fielding when hard pressed. The way he got the ball away from the feet (say) of Irish forwards, and broke away from them with that curious sideways movement was almost uncanny ; but he was quicker on his feet and faster than seemed possible in one so heavy shouldered. In some of his later games he fell away badly.” In his last game when Wales lost to Scotland W.J.T. Collins reports: “Strand Jones, the Welsh full-back, did wonderful defensive work playing against the gale ; but in the second half positioned himself badly, and kicked badly.” RT Gabe summed up the man in an article he wrote especially for Lampeter’s own magazine “The Converter” in 1960: “…he was always reliable on the field and a gentleman with kindly feelings and high principles off the field”. http://www.clwbrygbillambed.org/history.html
