Percy Jones (23 March 1887 – 31 March 1969) was a Welsh international

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

forward who played club rugby for Pontypool and Newport. He was awarded eight caps for

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

and faced the touring with

South Africans The population of South Africa is about 58.8 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions. The South African National Census of 2022 was the most recent census held; the next will be in 2032. In 2011, Statistics South ...

. Jones was one of the 'Terrible Eight' who clashed with the Irish forwards during the 1914 Five Nations Championship.

Rugby career

Jones played for several rugby clubs but was selected for Welsh international duty while with Newport and Pontypool. His first cap was against the 1912 touring South Africans and although Wales lost the game, he was reselected a few months later to face England in the

1913 Five Nations Championship The 1913 Five Nations Championship was the fourth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-firs ...

. Under the captaincy of Tommy Vile, Wales lost on home soil for the first time against England since 1895. The selectors kept faith with Jones, and played in two of the next three games of the tournament, which saw wins for Wales and Jones against Scotland and France. In 1914, Jones was selected to play in all four matches of that year's Championship. Wales only lost one game, narrowly against eventually

Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

champions England. Jones was best known during this campaign for the buildup to the match against Ireland. The match was to be played at the Balmoral Showgrounds in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

on 14 March, and the Welsh team had travelled out to Ireland the day before. Jones and fellow Newport team mate

Harry Uzzell Henry "Harry" Uzzell (6 January 1883 – 20 December 1960) was a Welsh international rugby union player. He played club rugby predominantly for Newport and played county rugby for Gloucestershire. A fruiterer by trade he later became landlord of ...

decided to visit a local theatre in the night before the match. There they were met by some of the Irish players, where they were approached by Ireland's William Tyrrell, later to become Air Vice Marshal Sir William Tyrell, Surgeon to George VI, who challenged Jones to a physical contest on the pitch the next day. What appeared to start as good natured banter turned into a full-blooded contest during the match. Jones took several early knocks, not just from Tyrrell but from other members of the Irish pack.Mortimer, David; Classic Rugby Clangers. Robson Books, p 34. At half time Uzzell decided to pay the Irish back and the game descended into running fist fights and the match is remembered as being one of the most violent in international rugby. The Welsh forwards were dubbed the 'Terrible Eight' by the press after the event.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), pg 468. * 1913, 1914 * 1913, 1914 * 1914 * 1913, 1914 * 1912

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Percy 1887 births 1969 deaths Caerphilly RFC players London Welsh RFC players Newport RFC players Rugby union players from Pontypridd Pontypool RFC players Rhydyfelin RFC players Rugby union locks Tredegar RFC players Treorchy RFC players Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players