Albert Jenkins was an international rugby player for Wales

Wales national rugby union team

The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...

 and played club rugby for Llanelli RFC

Llanelli RFC

Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent...

 between 1919 and 1928. Jenkins was one of the greatest backs to have played for Llanelli and is compared to later Scarlet heroes Lewis Jones and Phil Bennett

Phil Bennett

Phillip Bennett was a Welsh international rugby union fly half from 1969 to 1978. His flair and range of tricks, including his famous sidestep and swerve, meant he was a firm favourite with crowds.-Rugby career:...

. Jenkins was a strong tackler and was an extremely fast runner from a standing start. He was also an excellent kicker with either foot and could punt the ball half the length of the pitch. He was sometimes criticised for his decision making on the field, and wasn't at his best away from Stradey Park

Stradey Park

Stradey Park was a rugby union stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800...

.

Jenkins is seen as on of Llanelli's greatest players but unfortunately for Jenkins he was at his peak when Welsh rugby was at one of its worst points in its history.

Club career

Jenkins played for Llanelli juniors but on the outbreak of World War I Jenkins joined the British Army and served in France in the 38th Welsh Regiment. On his return in 1919, Jenkins rejoined Llanelli and gained a position in the senior team. He would later play for Llanelli against the New Zealand All Blacks

All Blacks

The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....

, losing in 1924, but beating them 3-0 in 1926.

International career

Jenkins played fourteen matches for Wales, his first cap was against England on January 14, 1920 just four months after his Llanelli debut. His greatest international was the game against Ireland in 1920 when Jenkins set up three tries

Try

A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...

 for club mate Bryn Williams

Bryn Williams

Bryn Dwyfor Williams is a chef originally from Dinbych , North Wales. He is the head chef and sole proprietor of Odette's Restaurant, Primrose Hill, London...

, scored a try himself, kicked two of the resulting conversions and was successful with a drop goal

Field goal (rugby)

A drop goal, also referred to as a dropped goal or field goal, is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league. A drop goal cannot be scored in open play by punting the ball, and instead must be scored by drop kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the uprights. After the...

attempt. In the 1921 game against Scotland, Jenkins played with incredible commitment, but on occasions it appeared he was playing the Scots on his own due to the poor performance of the rest of the Welsh team.

Jenkins would go on to captain Wales twice, his first against Ireland in 1923, losing both games.

International matches played

Wales 1920, 1923 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 1920, 1923, 1928 1920, 1921, 1923, 1928 1924