1959 Southland Ranfurly Shield win over Taranaki.

In front of a crowd of 22,000 Southland beat Taranaki to win by 23-6.  The display by the Southland pack was so powerful and controlled that they got a standing ovation from the Taranaki crowd.  Team members were carried shoulder high from the field and would have been one of the most humbling experiences I have ever seen and one I will never forget.

Taranaki who had defended the shield 14 times could not believe that their forward pack was the one getting shoved round the paddock instead of the other way round.  You would even have to say that it would not have been since the second world war that a Southland team had played so well.  The tactics were obvious that to win Southland would have to use the forwards to control the ball and hoping that Taranaki would be forced into errors.
Southland knew thaat the Taranaki backs were skilled, fast and clever so to combat this they stopped the ball from reaching their backs.  
Southland took the lead in the first 5 minutes of the game when Taranaki was penalised, exactly as they had planned. Ashby kicked the penalty goal.  Taranaki not to be outdone also kicked a penalty goal which made the scores even.   Southland got their fair share of the ball and spun the ball out, the Southland No. 8,  Ack Soper taking it at a thundering pace to go over in the corner.  Taranaki replied with a penalty goal and that was it for the first half at 9-6.
Taranaki came out of the changing sheds fired up and it took Southland a while to regain their dominance it was not until Watson Archer shimmered around the blind side of a scrum and passed the ball to Ray Todd, who made one of his typical dashes to go over in the corner.
Ashby missed this conversion but did not miss when Watson Archer scored his second try in a 15 yard run that went through two gaps and he managed to score under the posts.
When it was showing full time on the clock, Taranaki  was forced into an error 20 yards from their goal line and Soper was there to snatch up the ball, flick it to Kevin Laidlaw and Johnny Allison came screaming up to take a scoring pass.
Although it was hard to single out any one player, especially in the frowards, it would have to be Greig Spencer, the junior All Black, who was the quickest, fittest and agaile player on the field.  For a forward his acceleration, handling of the ball and knowledge of the game made it easier for Ack Soper to be able to play a more loose game because he knew that he could rely on Spencer to contain the Taranaki forwards.
Keith Fyall the Bluff flanker, played his best game ever, as he put so much pressure on the Taranaki halfback, Urbahn, that he was forced into mistake after mistake.  Murray Miller was brillant in the lineouts and John Borland won three tighteheads  at hooker to Taranaki's R. J. Boon's one.
Captain Robin Archer lead from the front and although a couple of balls slipped when there was a try on, he did not let this distract him from the game.  He teamed up well with Alistair Tait at halfback, who played the tactical game well of keeping the ball ahead of his forwards or passing the ball out quickly to his backs - his decision making was impecable.
His brother, Watson Archer was in the form of his life and marked his opposite, All Black, McCullough brillantly.  He showed him up on defence running round him more than once.
The backs out wide did not see as much ball and Kevin Laidlaw, along with wingers, Ray Todd and Johnny Allison all put in solid games. The two latter both scored tries and their defensive kicking was precise.
Fullback, Lloyd Ashby handled the ball well and looked confident under the high ball and Taranaki with 20 minutes to go was bombarding him with the up and under but he did not crack.
Taranaki were blessed with four All Blacks; R.J. Urbahn, J. L. McCullough, R. H. Brown, and T.P. O'Sullivan. 

Reference:  The Southland Times 1959

Front Row: Kevin Laidlaw, Ack Soper, Mr R. H Ward (coach), Robin Archer, (Captain) Mr N. G. Polson (manager) John Borland, (deputy captain) Second Row: R. Hampton, T. Johnston, Ray Todd, Watson Archer, Alistair Tait, L. P Smith. Third Row: E. A. Gorton, Keith Fyall, D. Borland, J. Porteous, D. W. Jack, I.M. Miller, Lloyd Ashby. Back Row: Greig Spencer, Duncan Henderson, H. W. O'Neill, P.J. Lyons.