1968 British Lions tour to South Africa

1968 British Lions tour to South Africa
Date	26 May  – 28 August
Coach(es)	Ronnie Dawson
Tour captain(s)	Tom Kiernan
Test series winners	South Africa (3–0)
Top test point scorer(s)	Tom Kiernan (35)
← Australia and New Zealand 1966 New Zealand 1971 →

1968 British Lions tour to South Africa
Summary	P W D L
Total	20 15 01 04
Test match	04 00 01 03
Opponent	P W D L
South Africa	4 0 1 3

In 1968 the British Lions toured South Africa. The tour was not successful in terms of international results, the Lions losing the Test series against South Africa by three matches to nil, with the other match drawn. The Lions won 15 of their 16 non-international matches, losing only to Transvaal. The touring party was captained by Tom Kiernan, coached by Ronnie Dawson and managed by David Brooks. Star back Barry John broke his collar bone in a dangerous tackle in the first Test.

As well as South Africa, games were played against South West Africa (the future Namibia, then part of South Africa) and Rhodesia (the future Zimbabwe).

Unlike the previous two tours to South Africa (1955 and 1962), this British Lions team did not stop off in Nairobi, Kenya, to play East Africa on the way home. However, one member of this tour party was later to play against that team; in 1975 Peter Stagg was living in Zambia and playing rugby for the Ndola Wanderers RFC when the Tuskers visited and he played for Zambia in their first international on 31 August 1975 at Kitwe. Six of the squad would ultimately change codes and play professional rugby league, they are; Mike Coulman, Ken Goodall, Keith Jarrett, Keri Jones, Maurice Richards, and Bryan West.

Squad

Backs:

• Barry Bresnihan (University College Dublin and Ireland)
• Gordon Connell (Trinity Academicals and Scotland)
• Gerald Davies (Cardiff and Wales)
• Gareth Edwards (Cardiff and Wales)
• Mike Gibson (North of Ireland FC and Ireland)
• Bob Hiller (Harlequins and England)
• Sandy Hinshelwood (London Scottish and Scotland)
• Keith Jarrett (Newport and Wales)
• Barry John (Cardiff and Wales)
• Keri Jones (Cardiff and Wales)
• Tom Kiernan (capt) (Cork Constitution and Ireland)
• Billy Raybould (London Welsh and Wales)
• Maurice Richards (Cardiff and Wales)
• Keith Savage (Northampton and England)
• Jock Turner (Gala and Scotland)
• Roger Young (Queen's University RFC and Ireland)

Forwards:

• Rodger Arneil (Edinburgh Academicals and Scotland)
• Mike Coulman (Moseley and England)
• Mick Doyle (Blackrock College and Ireland)
• Ken Goodall (City of Derry and Ireland)
• Tony Horton (Blackheath and England)
• Peter Larter (Northampton and England)
• Willie John McBride (Ballymena and Ireland)
• Syd Millar (Ballymena and Ireland)
• John O'Shea (Cardiff and Wales)
• John Pullin (Bristol and England)
• Peter Stagg (Sale and Scotland)
• John Taylor (London Welsh and Wales)
• Bob Taylor (Northampton and England)
• Jim Telfer (Melrose and Scotland)
• Delme Thomas (Llanelli and Wales)
• Bryan West (Northampton and England)
• Jeff Young (Harrogate and Wales)

Bob Lloyd (Harlequins and England) was selected in the original touring team but had to withdraw because of exam commitments and was replaced by Jarrett.

Results

Date	Venue		Score	Opposition	Result
18 May 1968	Potchefstroom	Lions	20–12	Western Transvaal	Won
22 May 1968	Newlands, Cape Town	Lions	10–6	Western Province	Won
25 May 1968	Mossel Bay	Lions	24–6	South West Districts	Won
29 May 1968	Port Elizabeth	Lions	23–14	Eastern Province	Won
1 June 1968	Durban	Lions	17–5	Natal	Won
3 June 1968	Salisbury	Lions	32–6	Rhodesia	Won
8 June 1968	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	Lions	20–25	South Africa	Lost
12 June 1968	Upington	Lions	25–5	North West Cape	Won
15 June 1968	Windhoek	Lions	23–0	South West Africa	Won
18 June 1968	Ellis Park, Johannesburg	Lions	6–14	Transvaal	Lost
22 June 1968	Port Elizabeth	Lions	6–6	South Africa	Draw
29 June 1968	Springs	Lions	37–9	Eastern Transvaal	Won
3 July 1968	Pretoria	Lions	22–19	Northern Transvaal	Won
6 July 1968	Kimberley	Lions	11–3	Griqualand West	Won
8 July 1968	Wellington	Lions	14–0	Boland	Won
13 July 1968	Newlands, Cape Town	Lions	6–11	South Africa	Lost
17 July 1968	East London	Lions	26–6	Border	Won
20 July 1968	Bloemfontein	Lions	9–3	Orange Free State	Won
22 July 1968	Cradock	Lions	40–12	North East Cape	Won
27 July 1968	Ellis Park, Johannesburg	Lions	6–19	South Africa	Lost

Matches

	18 May 1968	Western Transvaal	12–20	Lions	Potchefstroom
		Pen: Durandt (3), Blignaut		Try: Telfer (2), Turner, Davies Con: Kiernan Pen: Kiernan (2)	Referee: A. Bird

	22 May 1968	Western Province	6–10	Lions	Newlands, Cape Town
		Pen: van der Merwe, Naude		Try: Savage, Richards Con: Kiernan (2)	Referee: Max Baise

	25 May 1968	South Western Districts	6–24	Lions	Mossel Bay
		Pen: Kromhout (2)		Try: Hinshelwood (2), Taylor, Jones Con: Hiller (3) Pen: Hiller (2)	Referee: W. C. Malan

	29 May 1968	Eastern Province	14–23	Lions	Port Elizabeth
		Try: Nortje Con: Carelse Pen: Carelse (2), Adlam		Try: Hinshelwood, Hiller Con: Hiller Pen: Hiller (3) Drop: Turner (2)	Referee: C. de Bruyn

	1 June 1968	Natal	5–17	Lions	Kings Park, Durban
		Try: McIntosh Con: Swanby		Try: Edwards, Bresnihan, Turner, Richards Con: Kiernan Pen: Kiernan	Referee: W. T. F. Lane

	3 June 1968	Rhodesia	6–32	Lions	Salisbury
		Try: Smith Pen: Martin		Try: O'Shea (2), Hinshelwood, Jarrett, Thomas Con: Kiernan (2), Jarrett (2) Pen: Kiernan, Jarrett Drop: Gibson	Referee: P. Robertse

	8 June 1968	South Africa	25–20	Lions	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
		Try: Naude, de Villiers, du Preez Con: Visagie (2) Pen: Visagie (2), Naude (2)		Try: McBride Con: Kiernan Pen: Kiernan (5)	Referee: Max Baise

	12 June 1968	North West Cape	5–25	Lions	Upington
		Try: Bruwer Con: Basson		Try: Hinshelwood, Turner, Young, Telfer, Gibson Con: Hiller (2) Pen: Hiller (2)	Referee: J. P. J. Schoeman

	15 June 1968	South West Africa	0–23	Lions	Windhoek
				Try: Edwards (2), Hiller, Raybould, Savage Con: Hiller Pen: Hiller (2)	Referee: H. Kruger

	18 June 1968	Transvaal	14–6	Lions	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
		Try: Barnard Con: du Toit Pen: Steyn, Dannhauser, du Toit		Try: Gibson Pen: Kiernan	Referee: J. Stander

	22 June 1968	South Africa	6–6	Lions	Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
		Pen: Naude, Visagie		Pen: Kiernan (2)	Referee: J. P. J. Schoeman

	29 June 1968	Eastern Transvaal	9–37	Lions	PAM Brink Stadium, Springs
		Try: Cronje, Hector Pen: Nel		Try: Gibson, Young, Davies, Taylor, Doyle, Richards Con: Hiller (5) Pen: Hiller Drop: Gibson (2)	Referee: H. Woolley

	3 July 1968	Northern Transvaal	19–22	Lions	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
		Try: Fourie du Preez (2), Pitzer Con: Pretorius (2) Pen: Pretorius Drop: Steyn		Try: Richards, Coulman Con: Kiernan (2) Pen: Kiernan (4)	Referee: M. W. Odendaal

	6 July 1968	Griqualand West	3–11	Lions	Kimberley
		Pen: Visagie		Try: Edwards (2) Con: Jarrett Pen: Kiernan	Referee: K. Weyer

	8 July 1968	Boland	0–14	Lions	Wellington
				Try: Davies, Edwards, Savage Con: Hiller Pen: Hiller	Referee: J. Hamilton

	13 July 1968	South Africa	11–6	Lions	Newlands, Cape Town
		Try: Lourens Con: Visagie Pen: Visagie, Naude		Pen: Kiernan (2)	Referee: Max Baise

	17 July 1968	Border	6–26	Lions	East London
		Try: Harper Pen: Carstens		Try: Gibson Con: Hiller Pen: Hiller (5) Drop: Hiller (2)	Referee: K. Carlson

	20 July 1968	Orange Free State	3–9	Lions	Bloemfontein
		Pen: du Toit		Try: Richards Pen: Kiernan Drop: Gibson	Referee: H. J. du Plooy

	22 July 1968	North East Cape	12–40	Lions	Cradock
		Try: de la Rosa Pen: van Vuuren, Weideman Drop: Botha		Try: Raybould, Jarrett, J. Taylor, Hinshelwood, Doyle, Thomas, Bresnihan Con: Hiller (5) Pen: Hiller (2), Jarrett	Referee: H. J. du Plooy

	27 July 1968	South Africa	19–6	Lions	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
		Try: Roux, Ellis, Olivier, Nomis Con: Visagie (2) Drop: Gould		Pen: Kiernan (2)	Referee: Bertie Strasheim

References

• Thomas, Clem; Thomas, Greg (2005). The History of The British and Irish Lions. Mainstream Books. pp. 141–148. ISBN 1-84596-030-0.

Bibliography

• Reason, John (1968). The 1968 Lions : the British Isles tour of South Africa. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. ISBN 0413272400.