100 Greatest All Blacks: Peter Jones

This man was a flanker? Perhaps he was one of those massive Springbok forwards who wore the loose forward numbers?

No, he was Peter Frederick Hilton Jones, the legend of Awanui who was down in Whangarei to take in a footy game and reminisce with a few mates in a local bar.

When he thrust out his mitt it felt like half my arm disappeared into his clasp. You looked at him and could understand what sort of impact this Far North fisherman could wreak in his prime on a rugby field and especially during the '56 series with the Boks.

He will be remembered for his Eden Park try that year which was a huge splash of colour in the series and for his vivid after match comment about his health.

"Tiger' Jones always hunted tries and when he turned out for a festival game in his 40's, long after he retired, he touched down twice.

Reports of some of his exploits may be overstated but when there is a consistent theme that he ran round, over or through multiple defenders to score tries, it resonated with the feats Jonah Lomu was to achieve.

Jones loved to run the ball and could also gun it with great speed and agility for such a large man. He felt he had played better in the third test in '56 but was summonsed to the Eden Park microphone after the final international.

He thought he was only speaking to the joyous throng in front of the No 1 stand rather than a national radio audience as he let rip with the "I'm absolutely buggered" comment.
Injuries during the visit from the '59 Lions and then on the tour to Africa in '60 restricted his impact to the relief of his opponents.

Then Jones was gone to his family, farming, fishing and a contented life in the Far North.

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Statistics
Date of birth: 24 March 1932
Position: Blindside flanker
Matches: 37
Tests: 11
Test debut: 30 January 1954 v England, London
Final test: 25 June 1960 v South Africa, Johannesburg
Province: Northland
Test tries: 2
Test points: 6