S but lost the war
Warren Gatland’s Lions are searching for the tourists’ second series win on New Zealand soil in the 129-year history of clashes between the popular visitors and the All Blacks. As the squad prepares to leave the UK for a three-test series — this country’s
It is not often a home crowd turns on the All Blacks. But that is just what happened at least twice during the tense fourtest series against the Ronnie Dawsoncaptained British Lions.
The All Blacks won the series 3-1 — but it was the Lions who were hailed as the better side, playing the more enterprising rugby but still coming out second-best on the scoreboard.
The most painful loss on tour was the 18-17 defeat in the opening test at Carisbrook; where six penalties from the boot of Don Clarke saw New Zealand beat a side which had crossed for four tries.
While fans were relieved that the All Blacks had won, rugby historian Clive Akers said many had vented their frustration towards the men in black as they struggled against a Lions side which showed plenty of willingness to spread the ball wide.
“Late in the game the crowd, because the Lions were playing the rugby and Don Clarke was kicking the goals, were calling out, ‘Red, red, red’,” Akers said.
“They were behind the Lions and it is fair to say the Lions should have won.
“Even in the fourth test, they were shouting ‘Red, red’ because the Lions were playing brilliant rugby.”
Clarke was also a match-winning hero for the All Blacks in the second test at Wellington’s Athletic Park, scoring a late try and conversion to clinch the 11-8 win.
“They often talked about rugby throughout the 1950s and into the early 1960s as the All Blacks would have eight forwards and Don Clarke, and nothing in between,” Akers said.
“While they had Don Clarke on the park they could play winning rugby. He would kick the goals.”
New Zealand Rugby Museum director Stephen Berg said Clarke turned out to be the “superhero” for the All Blacks.
“He was the Dan Carter of his era, a real superstar.”
The All Blacks had been reliant on him and their pack throughout that Lions series.
“The All Blacks used to play 10-man rugby back then,” Berg said. “It was get it into the forwards, win the ball, kick the ball up the touchline, drive . . . over and over again. It must have been so boring to watch.
While they were unable to secure a first-ever Lions series win on our shores, the 1959 Lions team is still warmly remembered.
Akers described the tourists as “hugely popular”, largely down to their impressive on-field play.
Berg said the 1959 tourists were “so unlucky”.
“The series result was 3-1 and it looks like the All Blacks did quite well, but boy were they lucky,” he said.
Crowds flocked to see them wherever they played, leading to some long-standing attendance records.
That included the 60,000 who packed out Eden Park for the fourth and final test — won 9-6 by the Lions.
“The crowd numbers in 1959 were absolutely enormous,” Berg said.
“Eden Park only passed the record for crowd attendance from 1959 when they had the revamp for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Imagine the carnage, standing shoulder to shoulder for six hours before the game, waiting, waiting, waiting.”
The second test at Athletic Park was also oversold, with fans tearing a fence down and running into the venue.
Thanks to the New Zealand Rugby Museum, its director Stephen Berg and rugby historian Clive Akers