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In 1959, the British Lions rugby union team toured Australia and New Zealand. The Lions won the two test matches against Australia but lost the international series against the All Blacks by three matches to one. They also played two matches in Canada, on the return leg of the journey.
| 1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23 May – 19 September |
| Coach(es) | O.B. Glasgow |
| Tour captain(s) |  Ronnie Dawson |
| Test series winners | (v Australia) British and Irish Lions (2–0) (v New Zealand)  New Zealand (3–1) |
| Top test point scorer(s) | David Hewitt (16) |
| 1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary |
| ||||
| Total |
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| Test match |
| ||||
| Opponent |
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 Australia |
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| New Zealand |
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Although New Zealand won the series, the results in three of the tests were close. The Lions scored four tries to nil in the first test but six penalties by Don Clarke saw the All Blacks win 18–17. Clarke also scored a late try and conversion to win the second test, 11–8. New Zealand won the third test comfortably by 22–8 to win the series but the fourth test, which the Lions won 9–6, could have gone the All Blacks way had Clarke not missed a late penalty attempt.
Overall the tourists played thirty-three matches, winning twenty-seven and losing six. In Australia the Lions played six matches, winning five and losing one, to New South Wales. In New Zealand they played twenty-five matches, winning twenty and losing five – in addition to their three test defeats they also lost to Otago and Canterbury. They also played two matches in Canada, winning both.
The tour was notable for the 842 points scored in 33 games, a record number of points for a Lions tour and for the 22 tries scored by Tony O'Reilly, also a Lions tour record.
The touring party was captained by Ronnie Dawson. The manager was A. W. Wilson and the assistant manager was O.B. Glasgow.
Management
- Manager A. W. Wilson
- Assistant Manager O. B. Glasgow
Backs
- N. H. Brophy (UCD and Ireland)
- J. Butterfield (Northampton and England)
- S. Coughtrie (Edinburgh Academicals and Scotland)
- Terry Davies (Llanelli and Wales)
- M. A. F. English (Bohemians and Ireland)
- David Hewitt (Queen's University RFC and Ireland)
- J. P. Horrocks-Taylor (Leicester and England)
- Peter Jackson (Coventry and England)
- Dickie Jeeps (Northampton and England)
- Tony O'Reilly (Old Belvedere and Ireland)
- Andy Mulligan (Wanderers and Ireland)
- William "Bill" Michael Patterson (Sale)
- Malcolm Price (Pontypool and Wales)
- Bev Risman (Manchester and England)
- Ken Scotland (Cambridge University and Scotland)
- Malcolm Thomas (Newport and Wales)
- G. H. Waddell (Cambridge University and Scotland)
- J. R. C. Young (Harlequins and England)
Forwards
- Alan Ashcroft (Waterloo and England)
- Ronnie Dawson (Wanderers and Ireland)
- Roddy Evans (Cardiff and Wales)
- John Faull (Swansea and Wales)
- Hugh McLeod (Hawick and Scotland)
- David Marques (Harlequins and England)
- Bryn Meredith (Newport and Wales)
- Syd Millar (Ballymena and Ireland)
- Haydn Morgan (Abertillery and Wales)
- Bill Mulcahy (UCD and Ireland)
- Noel Murphy (Cork Constitution and Ireland)
- Ray Prosser (Pontypool and Wales)
- Ken Smith (Kelso and Scotland)
- Rhys Williams (Llanelli and Wales)
- Gordon Wood (Garryowen and Ireland)
Test matches
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May |  Victoria |
Melbourne, Australia | Win | 53–18 |
| 30 May |  New South Wales |
Sydney, Australia | Loss | 14–18 |
| 2 June |  Queensland |
Brisbane, Australia | Win | 39–11 |
| 6 June | Australia |
Brisbane, Australia | Win | 17–6 |
| 9 June | New South Wales Country Districts |
Tamworth, Australia | Win | 27–14 |
| 13 June | Australia |
Sydney, Australia | Win | 24–3 |
| 20 June | Hawke's Bay | Napier, New Zealand | Win | 52–12 |
| 24 June | Poverty Bay / East Coast |
Gisborne, New Zealand | Win | 23–14 |
| 27 June | Auckland | Auckland, New Zealand | Win | 15–10 |
| 1 July | New Zealand Universities | Christchurch, New Zealand | Win | 25–13 |
| 4 July | Otago | Dunedin, New Zealand | Loss | 8–26 |
| 8 July | South Canterbury / Mid Canterbury / North Otago |
Timaru, New Zealand | Win | 21–11 |
| 11 July | Southland | Invercargill, New Zealand | Win | 11–6 |
| 18 July | New Zealand |
Dunedin, New Zealand | Loss | 17–18 |
| 22 July | West Coast-Buller | Greymouth, New Zealand | Win | 58–3 |
| 25 July | Canterbury | Christchurch, New Zealand | Loss | 14–20 |
| 29 July | Marlborough / Nelson / Golden Bay-Motueka |
Blenheim, New Zealand | Win | 64–5 |
| 1 August | Wellington | Wellington, New Zealand | Win | 21–6 |
| 5 August | Wanganui | Wanganui, New Zealand | Win | 9–6 |
| 8 August | Taranaki | New Plymouth, New Zealand | Win | 15–3 |
| 11 August | Manawatu / Horowhenua |
Palmerston North, New Zealand | Win | 26–6 |
| 15 August | New Zealand |
Wellington, New Zealand | Loss | 8–11 |
| 19 August | King Country / Counties |
Taumarunui, New Zealand | Win | 25–5 |
| 22 August | Waikato | Hamilton, New Zealand | Win | 14–0 |
| 25 August | Wairarapa / Bush |
Masterton, New Zealand | Win | 37–11 |
| 29 August | New Zealand |
Christchurch, New Zealand | Loss | 8–22 |
| 2 September | New Zealand Juniors | Wellington, New Zealand | Win | 29–9 |
| 5 September | New Zealand Māori |
Auckland, New Zealand | Win | 12–6 |
| 9 September | Bay of Plenty / Thames Valley |
Rotorua, New Zealand | Win | 26–24 |
| 12 September | North Auckland | Whangārei, New Zealand | Win | 35–13 |
| 19 September | New Zealand |
Auckland, New Zealand | Win | 9–6 |
| 27 September | British Columbia | Vancouver, Canada | Win | 16–11 |
| 29 September | Eastern Canada All-Stars | Toronto, Canada | Win | 70–6 |
First Australia Test
| 6 June |
| Australia | 6–17 | British Lions |
| Pen: Donald (2) | Try: O'Reilly Smith Con: Risman Pen: Hewitt (2) Drop: Scotland |
| Exhibition Ground, Brisbane Attendance: 20,000 Referee: B.J. O'Callaghan (Australia) |
Australia: JK Lenehan (NSW), AR Morton (NSW), JM Potts (NSW), LJ Diett (NSW), KJ Donald (Queensland), AJ Summons (NSW), DM Connor (Queensland), PK Dunn (NSW), PG Johnson (NSW), KJ Ellis (NSW); JH Carroll (NSW), AR Miller (NSW); PT Fenwicke (NSW) Captain, R Outterside (NSW), J Thornett (NSW)
British Lions: KJF Scotland, PB Jackson, M Price, D Hewitt, AJF O'Reilley, AB Risman, REG Jeeps, HF McLeod, AR Dawson Captain, S Millar, GK Smith, WA Mulcahy, RH Williams, A Ashcroft, J Faull
Second Australia Test
| 13 June |
| Australia | 3–24 | British Lions |
| Pen: Donald | Try: Dawson O'Reilly Price (2) Risman Con: Hewitt (2) Scotland Pen: Scotland |
| Sydney Sports Ground, Sydney Attendance: 20,000 Referee: A.T. Tierney (Australia) |
Australia: JK Lenehan (NSW), AR Morton (NSW), RC Kay (Victoria), LJ Diett (NSW), KJ Donald (Queensland), AJ Summons (NSW), DM Connor (Queensland); KJ Ellis (NSW), PG Johnson (NSW), PK Dunn (NSW); JH Carroll (NSW), AR Miller (NSW), JE Thornett (NSW), R Outterside (NSW), PT Fenwicke (NSW) Captain
British Lions: KJF Scotland, PB Jackson, D Hewitt, M Price, AJF O'Reilley, AB Risman, REG Jeeps, HF McLeod, AR Dawson Captain, S Millar, WR Evans, RH Williams, NAA Murphy, RWD Marques, GK Smith
First New Zealand Test
| 18 July |
| New Zealand | 18–17 | British Lions |
| Pen: DB Clarke (6) | Try: Jackson O'Reilly Price (2) Con:Risman Pen: Hewitt |
| Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 41,500 Referee: A.L. Fleury (New Zealand) |
New Zealand: DB Clarke (Waikato), PT Walsh (Counties), RF McMullen (Auckland), TR Lineen (Auckland), BE McPhail (Canterbury), RH Brown (Taranaki), RJ Urbahn (Taranaki); WJ Whineray (Canterbury) Captain, RC Hemi (Waikato), IJ Clarke (Waikato), SF Hill (Canterbury), BE Finlay (Manauatu), PFH Jones (North Auckland), EAR Pickering (Waikato), IN MacEwan (Wellington)
British Lions: KJF Scotland, PB Jackson, MJ Price, D Hewitt, AJF O'Reilley, ABW Risman, REG Jeeps, HF McLeod, AR Dawson Captain, BGM Wood, WR Evans, RH Williams, GK Smith, J Faull, NA Murphy
Second New Zealand Test
| 15 August |
| New Zealand | 11–8 | British Lions |
| Try: Caulton (2) DB Clarke Con: DB Clarke | Try: Young Con:Davies Pen: Davies |
| Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 53,000 Referee: C.R. Gillies (New Zealand) |
New Zealand: DB Clarke (Waikato), ES Diack (Otago), RF McMullen (Auckland), TR Lineen (Auckland), RW Caulton (Wellington), JF McCullough (Taranaki), KC Briscoe (Taranaki), WJ Whineray (Canterbury) Captain, DS Webb (North Auckland), IJ Clarke (Waikato), SF Hill (Canterbury), IN MacEwan (Wellington), CE Meads (Kings Country), RJ Conway (Otago), KR Tremain (Canterbury)
British Lions: TE Davies, JRC Young, MC Thomas, WM Patterson, AJF O'Reilley, MJ Price, REG Jeeps, S Millar, AR Dawson Captain, HF McLeod, RH Williams, WR Evans, A Ashcroft, RWD Marques, NA Murphy
Third New Zealand Test
| 29 August |
| New Zealand | 22–8 | British Lions |
| Try: Caulton (2) Meads Urbahn Con: DB Clarke (2) Pen: DB Clarke Drop: DB Clarke | Try: Hewitt Con: Faull Pen: Faull |
| Lancaster Park, Christchurch Attendance: 57,000 Referee: C.R. Gillies (New Zealand) |
New Zealand: DB Clarke (Waikato), RH Brown (Taranaki), TR Lineen (Auckland), RW Caulton (Wellington), JF McCullough (Taranaki), RJ Urbahn (Taranaki), MW Irwin (Otago), RC Hemi (Waikato), WJ Whineray (Canterbury) Captain, SF Hill (Canterbury), IN MacEwan (Wellington), KR Tremain (Canterbury), RJ Conway (Otago), CE Meads (Kings Country)
British Lions: KJF Scotland, PB Jackson, MJ Price, D Hewitt, AJF O'Reilley, JP Horrocks-Taylor, REG Jeeps, HF McLeod, AR Dawson Captain, BGM Wood, WR Evans, RH Williams, HJ Morgan, J Faull, GK Smith
Fourth New Zealand Test
| 19 September |
| New Zealand | 6–9 | British Lions |
| Pen: DB Clarke (2) | Try: Jackson O'Reilly Risman |
| Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 60,000 Referee: J.P. Murphy (New Zealand) |
New Zealand: DB Clarke (Waikato), BE McPhail (Canterbury), TR Lineen (Auckland), AH Clarke (Auckland), RW Caulton (Wellington), JF McCullough (Taranaki), RJ Urbahn (Taranaki), MW Irwin (Otago), RC Hemi (Waikato), WJ Whineray (Canterbury) Captain, SF Hill (Canterbury), CE Meads (Kings Country), EAR Pickering (Waikato), RJ Conway (Otago), KR Tremain (Canterbury)
British Lions: TE Davies, PB Jackson, D Hewitt, KJF Scotland, AJF O'Reilley, ABW Risman, AA Mulligan, TR Prosser, AR Dawson Captain, HF McLeod, RH Williams, WA Mulcahy, NA Murphy, J Faull, HJ Morgan
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