When the All Blacks did the haka at Wembley in 1997, chants of “Wales, Wales, Wales” from the crowd were so loud some Welsh players couldn’t even hear opposition hooker Norm Hewitt leading the famous war dance barely 20 metres away.
But, if the latest scientific evidence is to be believed, the probability is New Zealand would still have benefited.
For an Australia University study has shown that the three-times world champions do enjoy physiological gains from performing the ceremonial Maori routine before Test match kick-offs.
Read more: New Zealand vowed to destroy Wales amid haka row as WRU chiefs branded 'lowlife slimeballs'
Debate has long raged over how much the haka helps New Zealand, who, with a win record of 77 percent over their 119-year history, are one of the most successful sporting teams on the planet.
Some see the challenge as sporting theatre. Others feel it gives the All Blacks an advantage heading into matches. Now, a study carried out by Vince Kelly at the University of Queensland’s School of Human Movement has come up with evidence to back up such a theory.
Heart-rate monitors were put on players as they ran through the haka to observe physiological changes. “I was really surprised how high the heart rates reached in players performing the haka with some reaching over 90% of their maximum heart rate,” Kelly told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Players who perform the haka would have an advantage over their opposition as their heart rate is elevated in preparation for the match.”
According to the research, the advantage kicks in as the All Blacks are doing the equivalent of another warm-up as they perform the haka, while their opponents are standing still and watching.
“Generally, teams do their warm-up and then probably come down a bit,” he said. “There’s a possibility that the team that’s doing the haka keeps those advantages of the warm-up.
“If you’ve got increased body temperature, that usually increases muscle temperature, which means the muscles are ready to exercise quicker.”
Some have tried tactics that could be construed as disrespectful while New Zealand are throwing down their challenge. Not a good idea, believes Kelly, as it might pump up the All Blacks even more.
For him, the best way to avoid the impact of the famed war dance is for opposition players to keep their tracksuits on and so stay warmer for longer. You can read about the five most memorable responses to the haka here.
“Potentially disrespecting the haka by not watching it or warming up while it is performed would just upset the players who did the haka more,” he said. “And then [the All Blacks] would probably be more pumped up to do well. The tracksuit strategy means the team doing the haka would lose the benefit of that warm-up effect because their core temperature and heart rate would be reduced.”
Famously, Newport opted for a no-look strategy in 1989 by heading deep into their own half and staying huddled in a circle when Wayne Shelford’s All Blacks did their pre-match thing.
The plan wasn’t a fantastic success. Shelford promptly led his players after them. The next year’s Rugby Annual for Wales noted: “So the tourists roared their Maori challenge 10 yards from the club side before play had even started — and kept on retreating from there on.”
There followed a ruthless and aggressive All Blacks performance, with Shelford crashing a punch into Andy Pocock’s teeth and knocking out four of them, while home prop Frank Hillman had his nose broken.
When they stopped counting, New Zealand had recorded a 54-9 victory.
Wales memorably went down a different route in 2008, refusing to budge after the haka had been completed and eyeballing those opposite.
“The Welsh boys were standing up to the challenge thrown down by us," New Zealand's then scrum-half Piri Weepu later reflected. “It was not disrespectful and it was quite an original way to respond to the haka.
“What they were trying to do was to turn the situation into a positive for them."
Sadly for Wales, it had only so much effect when play started, with the All Blacks going on to win 29-9.
The haka may help the Kiwis. But, for those in doubt, they've produced some pretty good rugby players over the years as well.
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