Passing, tackling and getting stuck in at the scrum, Jones was able to savour it all, having registered with the RFU in time to play.
Jones trained three times with his new Blackheath colleagues. As a defensive linebacker, he rarely gets a touch of the ball in American football but he came on as a second-half substitute in the game, which Blackheath lost 61-15. Despite the result, Jones still enjoyed his rugby baptism.
“It went well. It was a great experience. I was on the field for 10 minutes - I made a couple of tackles, I made a couple of passes. I was in the scrum, the shortside, and it was fine but the result didn’t go so well.”
Jones, who is 6ft 1in and weighs just over 17 stone, has had eight NFL seasons, playing for New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans before joining the Bengals last September. He was second on their tackle list for the season just completed.
“Launceston welcomed me and treated me really well. They were razzing me and making comments after the game but all in good fun. There’s a lot of similarities between American football and rugby but a lot of differences too. We all tackle, we all attack but the scrum and what goes on in the scrum - that’s different.
“I would like to try it again but I’d also like to try other sports. It was a wonderful experience.”
Jones’ rugby debut was being filmed as part of his US travel series, made by Red Line Films, where he explores different cultures through taking on sporting challenges.
He said: “Rugby is different. Rugby has more moving parts, more people on the field for a longer time. American football has many different phases - offense, defense, special teams. Rugby has one phase, one long phase, and many different positions. Rugby players have to go all ways – forwards, backwards, sideways - which is not like American football.”
One of the big differences between the two sports is the body protection worn in American football.
Jones said: “Without the armour it is a bit weird. It just takes time to get used to it because it’s different for me. Like anything, you practice, you train, you take the hits. You get used to it.
“The most difficult part for me is to be able to run for the whole game. Rugby never stops. American football is anerobic, rugby is aerobic – you don’t stop. In American football you’re on, you’re off. There are always phases when you’re not on the field and that’s very different. I find that the hardest.”
Blackheath’s victors Launceston are at Nottingham for Saturday’s EDF Energy National Trophy quarter-final clash.
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