Haka standoff sets it up perfectly

IAIN McGREGOR/Fairfax Media

SHOW OF RESPECT: The All Blacks engage in a stare-down with Wales at the end of the pre-match haka at the Millennium Stadium. Eventually referee Jonathan Kaplan got the teams to play some rugby.

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Referee Jonathan Kaplan mightn't have been so happy but the All Blacks were thrilled by Wales' reaction to their haka although the New Zealand players certainly weren't going to back down in what became a lengthy face-off between the two teams.

The All Blacks produced a stirring rendition of Kapa o Pango in front of 74,067 people at Millennium Stadium.

The Welsh team lined up on their 10m mark, linked arms and locked their eyes in a collective stare.

When the All Blacks finished with the provocative throat-slitting gesture, the Welsh didn't budge – they just stood there staring .. and staring ... and staring.

The All Blacks took up that challenge, holding their ground and staring back.

Kaplan dodged between them, dribbling the ball along the halfway line and urging the teams to take their positions for the kickoff.

After a pause that seemed forever, the teams finally – and reluctantly – disassembled as the crowd roared.

Welsh skipper Ryan Jones explained that his side wanted to counter the haka with a bit of ownership.

"It was something we came up with during the week. What we were trying to show was that it was our stadium, our pitch, our fans and we weren't prepared to give up the ground. I think we showed that and we took that into the opening encounters of the game," he said.

Asked if it was a unique start to a test match, All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw said: "I didn't know that we were going to get started to be honest. Jonathan was quite keen to get on with it.

"There was a fair bit of feeling to both teams. It was good. It really showed that both teams were ready to play and I think the start of the game with it's intensity proved that."

Keven Mealamu said he saw nothing wrong with the Welsh approach.

"There was a stand-off but it was good. I thought it was quite respectful actually," said the All Blacks hooker. "The ref just told us it went a bit too long. But it was just good to see the Welshmen take the challenge, it as awesome. It was a good way to start the match – there was a lot of passion."

Added Jerome Kaino: "We expected something ... we weren't quite sure what to expect though. I wasn't really expecting them to do a haka back but they held their ground and we held our ground. The ref had to step in and separate both teams."

The haka has been a huge issue on this tour. The Hong Kong crowd loved the novelty of it in the Asian surroundings. The Edinburgh crowd witnessed All Blacks lock Ali Williams win his personal face-off with Scottish lock Nathan Hines. Dublin was reasonably straightforward although more than 82,000 fans lapped it up at Croke Park.

And, of course, Munster produced their own haka with their four Kiwis, led by Rua Tipoki, producing a marvellous version of Ka Mate.

Does New Zealander Riki Flutey have something up his sleeve if he gets to turn out for England against the All Blacks at Twickenham next week? It's bound to be a bit of an issue over the next few days.

The All Blacks also revealed that they had gained inspiration for their performance by watching the Kiwis thump Australia to win the rugby league World Cup. Most of the All Blacks gathered in a room in their hotel early in the morning to watch the Kiwis cause a huge upset.

"A lot of the guys watched the game and they were stimulated by that performance. It put a wee bit of edge on our guys," said All Blacks coach Graham Henry.

Richie McCaw said his players had been impressed: "It was great. Everyone had written them (the Kiwis) off and they came out and played with that passion. We actually talked about that as a forward pack, saying that was a standard of passion that we need."

What did you think of the Welsh response to the All Black haka? Do you respect teams who stand up to the challenge? Post your comments below.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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J T   #7   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Fantastic response.....but it just goes to show that the Northern media bagging the Haka are idiots. The Haka does mean something to the opposition as well, otherwise they wouldn't bother to try and come up with ways to counter it. Maybe the Welsh should have spent more time during the week coming up with try scoring moves than on Haka counters as Ryan Jones mentioned they did.

Coman   #6   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Yes it shows the opposition are not going down easily. Look how the Welsh played in the first half. Great for the game.

allblackfan   #5   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

amazing... what an awesome display of passion from both sides!!!! One of the reasons why rugby is better than stupid football(soccer)

Mary   #4   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Thought it was a waste of time, for the Welsh of course, hehehe

johnno42   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

loved it... but it could get tedious if everyone starts doing it

JB   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I thought the Welsh stand off was fantastic and very much in the spirit of the Haka. Compare this to the tacky aussie stunt of making our boys do the Haka in the underground car park in brisbane a year or so back. Just goes to show how passionate the Welsh are - good on em.

Nabley   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

It was good. Very appropriate.

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