John Goulstone Lewis
Encyclopedia
John "Johnny" Goulstone Lewis (25 December 1859 – 9 May 1935) was a Welsh
international rugby union
half-back who played club rugby for Llanelli
and international rugby for Wales
. Lewis was also a cricketer, but only played at local level for Llanelli, though he was the first player to score a century at Stradey Park
.
. The game was the third and last in the series, and Wales had drawn against England, but lost to Scotland, so a win over Ireland would give Wales their highest finish in the Championship to date. Wales were also suffering from a lack of continuity in their half-back pairings, with the team not fielding an identical pair of half-backs since 1885. The Ireland game was no exception; the previous match away to Scotland saw the Welsh selectors choose the Cardiff
pairing of George Bowen
and Jem Evans
; but with Bowen moved to threequarters, Lewis was brought in alongside veteran half-back William "Buller" Stadden
. Played on the neutral territory of Birkenhead Park
, Wales won by a single dropped goal from Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, even though Ireland outscored the Welsh team three tries to one. Despite the win, Lewis found his position taken by Evans the next season, and did not represent Wales again. Despite being out of favour with the Welsh selectors, he was rewarded by his home club during the 1887-88 season when he was made captain of the senior team.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
half-back who played club rugby for Llanelli
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...
and international rugby 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...
. Lewis was also a cricketer, but only played at local level for Llanelli, though he was the first player to score a century at 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...
.
Rugby career
Lewis, nicknamed "Johnny Bach", played club rugby for first class Welsh team, Llanelli. While playing for Llanelli, Lewis was awarded his one and only international cap, when he was selected to represent Wales against Ireland in the 1887 Home Nations Championship1887 Home Nations Championship
The 1887 Home Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 8 January and 12 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
. The game was the third and last in the series, and Wales had drawn against England, but lost to Scotland, so a win over Ireland would give Wales their highest finish in the Championship to date. Wales were also suffering from a lack of continuity in their half-back pairings, with the team not fielding an identical pair of half-backs since 1885. The Ireland game was no exception; the previous match away to Scotland saw the Welsh selectors choose the Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
pairing of George Bowen
George Bowen (rugby player)
George Einon Bowen was a Welsh international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Swansea and Llanelli. Bowen won four caps for Wales and also played cricket for Glamorgan. Later in his life he became the Mayor of Kidwelly.Bowen was first selected for Wales on 26 February 1887 in a...
and Jem Evans
Jem Evans
Owen James 'Jem' Evans was a Welsh rugby union half-back who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales...
; but with Bowen moved to threequarters, Lewis was brought in alongside veteran half-back William "Buller" Stadden
William Stadden
William James Wood "Buller" Stadden was a Welsh international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Cardiff and Dewsbury. Stadden won eight caps for Wales over a period of seven years and is most remembered for scoring the winning try in 1890 to give Wales their first victory over England...
. Played on the neutral territory of Birkenhead Park
Birkenhead Park
Birkenhead Park is a public park in the centre of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847...
, Wales won by a single dropped goal from Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, even though Ireland outscored the Welsh team three tries to one. Despite the win, Lewis found his position taken by Evans the next season, and did not represent Wales again. Despite being out of favour with the Welsh selectors, he was rewarded by his home club during the 1887-88 season when he was made captain of the senior team.