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Hayden Meikle counts down the 150 greatest moments in Otago sport.
No 105: Ron Elvidge seals a draw (1950)
He scored lots of tries, won lots of tests and took part in a great Otago Ranfurly Shield era.
But Ron Elvidge's most famous moment remains an exciting individual try he scored at Carisbrook to help the All Blacks salvage a 9-9 draw in the opening test against the Lions in 1950.
The Lions had been beaten by both Otago and Southland before the test, and were not expected to provide too much of a challenge for the All Blacks.
But, on a fine May day in front of 35,000 fans, the Lions led 9-3 going into the final quarter and the upset was on.
Bob Scott kicked a penalty to get the All Blacks within range, then a five-yard scrum was won by the home side with just five minutes remaining.
Elvidge, a midfielder with a keen eye for a gap, called a blindside move, took the pass from halfback Vince Bevan and scored in the corner. Scott missed the conversion.
"I can feel the hot breath of the Lions breakaways on my neck to this day," Elvidge later recalled.
"I made that break to the blindside not once but three times. On the first two times the whistle went for some infringement and we had to pack down again."
The All Blacks won each of the remaining tests to claim the series 3-0. Elvidge, the captain, damaged his collarbone in the third test and was replaced as skipper for the fourth by Otago team-mate Peter Johnstone.
Elvidge retired from rugby at the end of that season and went to study medicine in England. He lives in Auckland.