Southland overcame a sloppy start to overwhelm Wanganui 62-6 and retain the Ranfurly Shield in Invercargill on Friday night.
It was the highest number of points scored in a defence by Southland, albeit with five point tries. It bettered the 50-0 win over Ashburton County in 1939 and was the third time Southland had scored 10 tries or more in a defence.
Southland led 14-6 after an error-plagued first half but it lifted the tempo in the second spell as it scored at better than a point a minute.
Big lock Joe Tuineau and rookie hooker Brayden Mitchell were outstanding in the Stags' pack while Glenn Horton was sharp at fullback, Kendrick Lynn added penetration at centre and Scott Cowan fed his backs with quick, long passes.
Southland eventually scored 10 tries to none, eight of them in the second spell.
Fullback Asalemo Malo and first five-eighths Mark Davis were the best of the Wanganui backs while loosie Peter Rowe and prop Matt Gilbert were honest battlers in a forward pack which tried hard but which as ultimately out-classed.
It was the first game between the unions since 1991 when Southland won 30-19 in a second division clash and the first shield match since 1930 when Southland defended the log of wood 19-0.
Southland kicked off on a cool but clear night with the temperature at 4degC but Wanganui led 6-0 in as many minutes after Davis kicked a handy penalty and then dropped a neat goal.
But Southland struck back two minutes later with a sweeping backline move in which Kendrick Lynn made a half break and Horton scored in the corner, Robbie Robinson converting.
Wanganui gave at least as good as it got in the first quarter and almost scored its first shield challenge try since 1964 as its big forwards hammered at the Southland line.
Wanganui lock Nic Cranston was sin binned for a professional foul just before halftime and, from the ensuing scrum, the Stags gained a tight-head and No.8 Elliot Dixon was driven over for a try which Robinson converted.
Southland led 14-6 at the break but it had been anything but convincing. There had been little continuity in its play and what ball it did have was often squandered by basic handling errors.
Wanganui had almost 60 percent of possession and the Stags had made 11 handling errors, compared to three by Wanganui.
Southland began the second spell with a hiss and a roar, taking the kick-off, bursting 40 metres and setting up a try in the corner for left wing Mark Wells.
There was another sweeping move from the kick-off, Mitchell finishing it off and, in the space of less than three minutes, Southland was ahead 28-6 and had almost doubled its halftime score.
Tony Koonwaiyou was over under the posts two minutes later and, in the 10 minutes Cranston had been off the field, the Stags had added 26 points.
Captain Jamie Mackintosh smashed over for the sixth try after the forwards combined in a passing rush and, with 20 minutes remaining, Southland led 38-6.
Wells and Horton each scored their second tries and Southland posted its half-century with 13 minutes left.
Scorers were:
Southland 62
Tries: Horton 2, Dixon, Wells 2, Mitchell, Koonwaiyou, Mackintosh, McGrath, Rutledge
Con: Robinson 6
Wanganui 6
Pen: Davis
Dropped goal: Davis
HT:14-6.