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'Is the expectation that we just stand there?': Haka response not going anywhere

(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Determined to challenge the All Blacks before and after the first whistle, the Wallabies insist their response to the haka is designed to respect, not antagonise, their opponents.

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The Wallabies will face New Zealand at their house of horrors, Eden Park, for Saturday night’s Test, with the Rugby Championship on the line.

Usually, all eyes would be trained on the All Blacks as they perform their haka before kick-off.

But on Saturday, just as much attention will be on the Wallabies’ boomerang-style response, an initiative of Australia’s Kiwi coach Dave Rennie.

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Rennie brought the boomerang into the spotlight this week by revealing it was the subject of a sledge from All Blacks star Rieko Ioane.

“Rieko Ioane had a lot to say to our boys after the final try, mouthing off at Folau Fainga’a around disrespecting the haka,” Rennie said.

“We don’t have the luxury of having a haka so our response is (to get) in the boomerang shape and to move forward. They’ve thrown down a challenge and we’re accepting it.”

New Zealand captain Sam Whitelock said he welcomed the Australian response.

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“They’re doing something they want to do to show they’re together as a country … that’s cool,” he said.

“If they want to do something that makes them feel connected, that’s great. It probably adds to the occasion.”

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The All Blacks have become synonymous with the haka, a Maori custom which signifies a challenge.

Over the years, many teams have tried different responses, including linking arms or walking towards the haka.

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Pacific nations with similar traditions, including Fiji with their cibi, perform alongside the haka.

Australia captain James Slipper was eager to point out the boomerang response, created with Indigenous traditions in mind, was nothing new.

“We’ve been doing the boomerang for about three years … ever since Renners came in,” he said.

“All of us boys really want to involve the Indigenous culture.

“We played in the Indigenous jersey a few times now each year and that’s something we’re really proud of.

“(The boomerang) is just a little bit of a taste of our nation and our way of accepting the challenge.”

Slipper was off the field for the second half and missed Ioane’s comments, thrown in the aftermath of the All Blacks’ 39-37 win.

“Apparently, we disrespected the haka. By no means was that the case … we respect the haka. We respect the All Black team.”

Rennie explained the boomerang in a 2020 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

“I wanted the boys to understand what the haka is about and for us to come up with a way where we’re going to embrace it,” he said.

“The idea with the boomerang is that we throw the boomerang out, it hovers above them, mincing up their words, then comes back and brings back an energy to us.”

Rugby Australia say they consulted with Indigenous groups in designing their response.

The All Blacks’ use of the haka can be controversial even in New Zealand.

The team was criticised by some Maori last month for performing the ‘Ka Mate’ variation – written by North Island chief Te Rauparaha, who waged war with the South Island – in Christchurch.

Will the boomerang come back at Eden Park?

Slipper said the team had not discussed it, but Rennie’s mind appears made up.

“We won’t be stopping that,” he said. “Is the expectation that we just stand there, they throw a challenge at us and we do nothing? Just take it?”

– Ben McKay

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Comments

1 Comment
r
ric 773 days ago

OMG.......stop going on about this.......No one knows what Reiko said and he is known for being a mouthy hot head. It was probably some kind of trash like "this is what you get if you think you can stand up to our Haka" after they scored the winning try......he doesn't speak for all NZ . I think nearly everyone in nz thinks other teams can do what they want and quite enjoy it when they do something other than just stand there

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Flankly 2 minutes ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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Nickers 12 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Very poor understanding of what's going on and 0 ability to read. When I say playing behind the gain line you take this to mean all off-loads and site times we are playing in front of the gain line???


Every time we play a lot of rugby behind the gain line (for clarity, meaning trying to build an attack and use width without front foot ball 5m+ behind the most recent breakdown) we go backwards and turn the ball over in some way. Every time a player is tackled behind the most recent breakdown you need more and more people to clear out because your forwards have to go back around the corner, whereas opposition players can keep moving forward. Eventually you run out of either players to clear out or players to pass to and the result in a big net loss of territory and often a turnover. You may have witnessed that 20+ times in the game against England. This is a particularly dumb idea inside your own 40m which is where, for some reason, we are most likely to employ it.


The very best ABs teams never built an identity around attacking from poor positions. The DC era team was known for being the team that kicked the most. To engineer field position and apply pressure, and create broken play to counter attack. This current team is not differentiating between when a defence has lost it's structure and there are opportunities, and when they are completely set and there is nothing on. The reason they are going for 30 minute + periods in every game without scoring a single point, even against Japan and a poor Australian team, is because they are playing most of their rugby on the back foot in the wrong half.

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Nickers 41 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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