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On this day New Zealand did beat USA 34-3 in Marcoussis, France but other results saw the Black Fern's great run at the previous four Rugby World Cups come to an end.

DARROUY, CHRISTIAN
Mont-de-Marsan and France
40 internationals for France 1957–67

A Mont-de-Marsan wing who scored 23 tries in internationals for his country and who stayed in the French team for 10 years. Captain of his country in 1967, taking over from fellow club man Michel Crauste, Darrouy led the team to a Five Nations championship win and was so pleased he sent a famous telegram to President de Gaulle containing just two words – ‘Mission accomplished.’

He was once described as a ‘greyhound’ wing in the style of Adolphe Jaureguy, a star French player in the 1920s.

Darrouy was captain on his last tour, to South Africa in 1967, one of the few wingers to lead any international team on a tour. This was France’s only four-test series: his team lost the first two games but surprised with a win in the third and a draw in the fourth.

At the time of his retirement he was France’s highest try-scorer in internationals and had also beaten Jean Dupuy’s record as France’s most-capped wing.

His best performance in an international came when he scored three tries against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in 1964. He also had the satisfaction of sprinting nearly 50 metres to score the winning try against South Africa in Springs in the only test of France’s 1964 tour.

Answer; SOUTHLAND (They had the Ranfurly Shield from September 10 1938 until August 2 1947 – which was three weeks short of nine years!) That was more than when Auckland had the Shield from September 14 1985 til September 18 1993 - a total just over 8 years! [NOTE:There were no matches played in the years of WWII. The Shield stayed in the window of H.H.Geddes and son, the menswear store, on the corner of Tay and Dee Streets in Invercargill during the war years.]