Not without success
Southland is at the end of South Island. Keep going south and you end at the South Pole. It's not the most southerly rugby union in the world, that is at the end of South America, but it is the most southerly in New Zealand.
Based on its most southerly city, Invercargill, on the mouth of the Cargill River, the name telling of the Scottish influence low down in South Island with Stewart Island, the tuatara - living relatives of dinosaurs, and the luscious Bluff oysters with their aphrodisiacal properties.
The Stags of Southland have played the Lions in the past and beaten them.
The 1888 side was the first to come from Britain to New Zealand but it did not play in the deep south. The 1908 team, referred to as the Anglo-Welsh did and had a tough time in Invercargill.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Joseph Ward, was at the match. Billy Stead, vice-captain to Dave Gallaher of the first All Blacks, was the captain of the strong Southland team which had playing for it one Ned Hughes, a hooker who was then an All Black. He was still an All Black against the Springboks in 1921 after which he retired at the age of 40, the oldest playing All Black ever.
The Stags led 8-5 at half-time before the tourists finished strongly and won 14-8. After that they headed north to the first Test at Carisbrook.
This year, too, the Lions will leave Southland to head north for the first Test, but they will not be travelling by train and brake to do so.
In 1930 the Lions won 9-3 at Rugby Park in Invercargill on a cold, cold day when snow and hail fell, scoring two tries and a penalty goal to a penalty goal. At that time Southland held the Ranfurly Shield, but the tourists were on a roll after winning the first Test in Dunedin.
Then came 1950 and for the first time the Stags beat the Lions - 11-0. Again it was on the Tuesday before the first Tests, as it is this year. The Lions had just lost to Otago and went down to Invercargill and played really poorly.
Southland wore green instead of their usual maroon to avoid a clash with the Lions and they were full value for their victory by two tries, a conversion and a dropped goal. Butt's dropped goal was the only score in the first half.
Up the Lions went to Carisbrook and drew the first Test 9-all.
The Lions played Southland in the match before the first Test in 1959 as well, this time on the Saturday before and this time victoriously. They won 11-6 in Invercargill and then went on to lose the infamous Test in Dunedin 18-17 when they scored five tries to nil.
The match at Rugby Park in Invercargill was played in a marsh. It had rained heavily during the night and rained heavily during the match as well. It was 3-all at half-time. Ken Scotland kicked two drops in the match and Peter Jackson scored a try when another Scotland drop attempt rebounded off an upright. The Stage, who had won the Ranfurly Shield from Taranaki, on the other hand scored two tries
In 1966 the Southland match was the first of the New Zealand tour - and the Lions lost 14-8. In fact they lost three of their first five matches. In the match before the Southland match, the Lions had beaten Australia 31-0. This was a massive reality check at the end of New Zealand. Again the day, 11 June, was wet and cold. Again it was 3-all at half-time but the lighter home pack took over with No.8 Ack Roper, blood streaming from his mouth, in the van. Those were the rays when a Southland pack was made up entirely of hard farmers with hands as soft as bags of cement.
Scrumhalf Colin Hay ran some 25 yards to score the try that clinched the match.
There were 95 line-outs and 35 penalties in the match, which would not please modern spectators but which delighted the crowd at Rugby Park, Invercargoll.
On 11 June 1977 the Lions won 20-12, scoring three tries to none on a day when the Stags chose an 18-year-old Steve Pokere at centre. The day was sunny, the score 6-all at half time but the pack dominated Frank Oliver's Southlanders in the second half. (Frank Oliver is the father of Anton who plays his rugby in neighbouring Otago.)
In 1983, again on 11 June, the Lions ran away with Southland, winning 41-3, scoring six tries on a day when the conditions were perfect. It was Southland's biggest hiding against a touring team till the Wallabies caned them 55-0 three years later.
In 1993 they played again on a Tuesday, on 8 June this time, and now Rugby Park was called Homestead Stadium, a name which has not lasted, to the joy of the denizens of Invercargill. In 1993 the Lions again gave Southland a hiding, winning 34-16 which sounds bigger than three tries to two.
In 1993 Southland were in Division 2 of the NPC and ended the season sixth out of nine in Division 2. They were not strong. Last year, 2004, Southland were in the NPC's 1st Division but they battled, ending 8th with only one win - over Northland who were last. Of the teams that the Lions have played so far, Bay of Plenty beat Southland 38-20, Taranaki beat them 48-16 in Invercargill, Wellington beat them 30-0 in Invercargill and Otago beat them 27-10.