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Lions to challenge the Haka by singing?

Jockstap

First XV
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Rumour has it the Lions will sing a medley of the 4 songs they've been practicing while the All Blacks perform the Haka. Thoughts?
 
Not for me, the problem I have with team's standing up to the Haka or trying to do their own thing is they look stupid when they end up getting smashed in the 80 minutes, if your going to counteract the Haka you have to win the game IMO...
 
Yep, if you haven't got a Haka of your own then just front up. The defiant stare appears to work well for the Lions. It looks good; sends a message back and is the most appropriate response.
The defiant stare is the way to go, dignified & subtle the best way to accept the ultimate challenge...
 
Is this a windup? Sing what exactly? Oggie oggie oggie?

I think the appropriate response would be to stand as far away as possible from the ABs - like under the goal posts in a huddle - not paying any attention - and let the opposition do their dance....

Staring them down looks equally daft IMHO. I say pay no attention. Get in a team huddle and chat about how you want to mash these f3ckers.... If I was captain, I'd be thinking along these lines.
 
This will definitely go down well.


I still believe that a longbow volley, or a light cavalry charge, is the best response. If we take a few of them out then it might limit the amount of tries we concede.
 
Monty Python have a lot of fans in NZ.
It's worth a try.

I remain unconvinced that the haka serves the All Blacks as a hype mechanism that gives the players an advantage.
However I remain convinced that it can get the crowd going and that's a whole different kind of advantage.
 
Is this a windup? Sing what exactly? Oggie oggie oggie?

I think the appropriate response would be to stand as far away as possible from the ABs - like under the goal posts in a huddle - not paying any attention - and let the opposition do their dance....

Staring them down looks equally daft IMHO. I say pay no attention. Get in a team huddle and chat about how you want to mash these f3ckers.... If I was captain, I'd be thinking along these lines.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/in...captain-john-eales-learns-haka-in-documentary
 
If it's the 'Kamate' haka then all they need to do is learn the translation, it makes all the actions seem just a little bit funny!
 
If it's the 'Kamate' haka then all they need to do is learn the translation, it makes all the actions seem just a little bit funny!
I know, right.
You see big muscular men dancing fiercely, as if they're waging war on you, as if they wanted to rip your body apart and eat your entrails. But no, they're just "living", "dying", praying to the Sun and singing a weird Macarena remix.

I expect the Lions to sing this as a response:
 
Would break my **** laughing if they did, but I doubt it. Athenry aside maybe, hearing a group of 15 dudes trying to have the vocal range not to make Jerusalem, Calon Lan and 500 Miles not sound awful would be funny. I mean Calon Lan and Jerusalem are straight up hymns, and screeching DA DA DA, DA DA DA nununununununununahnah for the Proclaimers would have me in tears.
 
This will definitely go down well.


I still believe that a longbow volley, or a light cavalry charge, is the best response. If we take a few of them out then it might limit the amount of tries we concede.
I've always been a fan of generally doing your own warm-up routines in the 22, or, for England / GB&I a nice condescending round of applause with a few "jolly well done what?"s thrown in, or maybe a 3 cheers.


TBH though, I love the Haka as a piece of theatre, and adore seeing it when the various PI nations play each other and have a Haka-off, which really should be simultaneous, not stage-managed. What I dislike about the Haka is that there's not really any way (for a non-Haka nation) of respecting and accepting the challenge that doesn't cause offence - other than passively standing there. Hell 12 years ago we spoke to Maori elders, and followed their recommendations, and offended the entire nation for being disrespectful.
Facing up to it causes offence; having a stare-off causes offence; responding in kind causes offence; singing causes offence; ignoring it causes offence; following the advice of Maori elders causes offence. I've reached the point of thinking "**** it, we're going to cause offence whatever we do, so let's do so on our own terms!"
 
I've always been a fan of generally doing your own warm-up routines in the 22, or, for England / GB&I a nice condescending round of applause with a few "jolly well done what?"s thrown in, or maybe a 3 cheers.


TBH though, I love the Haka as a piece of theatre, and adore seeing it when the various PI nations play each other and have a Haka-off, which really should be simultaneous, not stage-managed. What I dislike about the Haka is that there's not really any way (for a non-Haka nation) of respecting and accepting the challenge that doesn't cause offence - other than passively standing there. Hell 12 years ago we spoke to Maori elders, and followed their recommendations, and offended the entire nation for being disrespectful.
Facing up to it causes offence; having a stare-off causes offence; responding in kind causes offence; singing causes offence; ignoring it causes offence; following the advice of Maori elders causes offence. I've reached the point of thinking "**** it, we're going to cause offence whatever we do, so let's do so on our own terms!"

Exactly this. Even moving forward to be right up close to where the Haka is performed has been seen as disrespectful, even though I see that as a return of the challenge and a way to heighten the atmosphere. The idea that while the opponent has the chance to work themselves up into an energetic frenzy you have to do nothing is off. Also, the crowd are criticised for singing over it which I again find strange - in a context where the Lions kickers are roundly booed at most kicks by large sections of the crowds. I love the haka but I think even the most ardent all-black fan would have to admit that people can get a bit precious over it at times.
 
It's not about the ABs' response in the same way the haka itself is not about the oppo's response - its impact is in uniting and firing up the ABs when they perform it. If singing, ignoring it, any approach is going to help unite and fire up the Lions before kick off then it's worth doing.

Does anyone know what the punishment from WR actually is if a team ignores the rules and fronts up to the haka? I assume it's a fine for the national union?
 
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