1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand

In 1959 the British Lions rugby union team toured Australia and New Zealand. The Lions won the two test matches against Nrut|Australia but lost the international series against the All Blacks by three matches to one.

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.

quad

Management

* Manager A. W. Wilson

* Assistant Manager O. B. Glasgow

Backs

*N. H. Brophy (University College Dublin 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 (Northampton and England)
*R. E. G. Jeeps (Northampton and England)
*Tony O'Reilly (Old Belvedere and Ireland)
*Andy Mulligan (Wanderers and Ireland)
*W. M. Patterson (Sale)
*M. J. Price (Pontypool and Wales)
*Bev Risman (Manchester and England)
*K. J. F. 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

*A. Ashcroft (Waterloo and England)
*Ronnie Dawson (Wanderers and Ireland)
*W. R. Evans (Cardiff and Wales)
*John Faull (Swansea and Wales)
*H. F. McLeod (Hawick and Scotland)
*R. W. D. Marques (Harlequins and England)
*Bryn Meredith (Newport and Wales)
*Syd Millar (Ballymena and Ireland)
*Haydn Morgan (Abertillery and Wales)
*W. A. Mulcahy (University College Dublin and Ireland)
*Noel Murphy (Cork Constitution and Ireland)
*T. R. Prosser (Pontypool and Wales)
*G. K Smith (Kelso and Scotland)
*Rhys Williams (Llanelli and Wales)
*B. G. M. Wood (Garryowen and Ireland)

Results

References

*cite book |last=Thomas|first=Clem |coauthors=updated by Thomas, Greg |title=The History of The British and Irish Lions|year=2005 |publisher=Mainstream Books |isbn=1-84-596030-0 |pages=pp117-125