Eales’ Haka bro-mance
Ex-Wallaby learns about war dance
IT was an infamous decision that sent shockwaves throughout the rugby world and incited outrage in New Zealand and Australia.
Former Wallabies captain John Eales comes face to face with his past to confront the one regret of his illustrious playing career – the Australian rugby union team’s controversial decision to turn their backs on the All Blacks while they performed The Haka before both of their 1996 Bledisloe Cup matches – in a new Discovery Channel doco.
The notorious incident still troubles Eales, as he confesses in John Eales Reveals: The Haka, a candid hour-long special that premieres on Discovery Channel
“We knew it was the wrong thing to do, but we still did it,” Eales admits.
“And to this day it still irks me. I’ve never felt comfortable with that decision.”
In a move driven by coach Greg Smith, Eales and his Wallabies teammates ignored the All Blacks’ Haka on July 6, 1996, at Athletic Park in Wellington, instead tossing and kicking balls at the other end of the field, before the Kiwis trounced them 43-6.
The Wallabies also turned their back on the Haka in the return match – won by the All Blacks 32-25 – in Brisbane two weeks later. The most famous pre-match ritual in sport around the world, the Haka is a cultural, historical and social ceremony that has become the glue that binds all New Zealanders.
The doco sees Eales, who faced his first Haka at high school in Brisbane in the 1980s, join All Blacks legend Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford to crisscross New Zealand – from Maori communities in Rotorua to Eden Park in Auckland – to better understand the sacred ritual.
Shelford, credited with reinvigorating the All Blacks Haka in the mid-1980s, takes Eales to the gravesite of legendary All Black Jonah Lomu, who was honoured with a massive Haka at his funeral in 2015 and to Turangi on the North Island, where the most famous Haka, the Ka Mate originated.
Shelford also sends Eales on a solo mission to the Maori community of Rotorua, where he meets Haka guru Inia Maxwell and is stared down by a group of kids performing the war dance.
Rugby greats including Peter Fitzsimons, George Gregan, David Wilson, Phil Kearns,
Rod Macqueen and Andrew Mehrtens also share their opinions on the 1996 snub.
Eales says it was a great journey that had taught him “an enormous amount” about what the Haka is.
“The Haka is a lot more than a dance as some people might look at it from one side of the fence, it‘s this challenge that’s thrown out to you, and it’s even more than that,” he says. “I think it’s a wonderful part of the game.”
Australia play the All Blacks in the first 2017 Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney tomorrow. John Eales Reveals: The Haka
premieres on Discovery Channel on Sunday at 7.30pm.
THEY have never been bigger outsiders in a Bledisloe Cup on home soil and, according to Michael Cheika, it doesn’t take a “rocket scientist” to understand why.
Despite acknowledging the widespread belief that the All Blacks will pile on more trans-Tasman pain tomorrow night, Cheika said the Wallabies are energised by the role of unloved underdogs.
“When you believe in yourself, you relish that idea,” Cheika said.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, you won’t. One thing we have been working hard on is training hard together … so we are feeling
connected so we can go against the odds. Because it would be against the odds, obviously. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work that out with what’s happened this year.
“Certainly the expectation is they will win. But it’s up to us to get up there and put a few obstacles in their way.”
Paying $6.25 to beat the All Blacks, the Wallabies have been bigger outsiders before. They were $9 nohopers in Bledisloe II in Auckland last year.
But it’s the biggest price on Australian soil and it’s little wonder why. Normally leaning towards optimism, even Australian fans are resigned
to another Bledisloe loss and a record low in the 50-55,000 range is forecast for ANZ Stadium. The previous crowd low at the Olympic venue is 65,328, and the average crowd since 2001 is 76,219.
The opening Bledisloe has been billed as one of the most important in recent history and Cheika agreed.
“In 2015 we had a win and we felt the high and how important it was to the game,” he said.
“In 2016 we suffered a reverse result and felt the other end of that.
“So there is no doubt it is a huge match for our fans and we certainly want to go out there and do them proud.”
Veteran hooker Stephen Moore has less enthusiasm in underdog upsides – “different people can take it differently” – but he said none of the pessimism that has buffeted Australian rugby this year would creep into camp.
“One thing we try to emphasise is that nothing outside our environment can influence the result,” he said.