Rather than take a knee, take a stand against the haka

This is our Eureka Stockade moment. Rather than taking a knee or wearing the Indigenous Wallaby jersey, take a stand against the haka.

Why do we stand back and let the All Blacks pump themselves up with the haka?

I am not given to despair, but I made the point last week that to grow a team you must have combinations.

If a coach picks a team on Wednesday of last week, it must be the best team in Australia. If he picks a different team the next week, presumably because of defeat, is that now the “best team?”

The coach can’t be right both times. You can’t be a good coach if you are not a good selector.

Here we are facing a critical match on Saturday night and there are changes everywhere.

Taniela Tupou is arguably the best tighthead prop in the world. He has been benched.

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Tupou is the equivalent of Jason Taumalolo in rugby league. They are both freaks of nature with unbelievable power and big engines.

The backline has been completely changed. If James O’Connor is injured, then there are forced changes to 12 and 10. But the fullback and outside centre have also been changed.

If the coach doesn’t know his best team after spending six weeks together, something is wrong.

But to the critical contest on Saturday at ANZ Stadium, a bit of history first.

In the early 1900s, all international rugby teams touring Britain were expected to perform a native war dance, or a war cry.

The British empire was thriving and those living in the British Isles enjoyed the novelty of seeing visiting teams from the colonies.

The All Blacks, Springboks and the Wallabies all obliged in Britain; but rarely would they perform a war dance at home. It was seen as a bit of a joke on home soil, way back then.

As things evolved, the Springboks and Wallabies eventually dropped their war dances, but the All Blacks maintained theirs. They call it the haka.

The “Ka Mate” soon began their main haka, and when “Buck” Shelford became the All Black captain in the 1980s, he made it a central part of the All Blacks’ match-day preparation.

In 2005, the All Blacks introduced the “Kapa o Pango” haka in Dunedin for a Test match against Jake White’s Springboks. This is the “throat slitting” version of the haka.

It’s apparently reserved for special occasions, usually when the All Blacks are under the pump, which, I must confess, is not too often.

At the end of the day, the haka is simply a war dance, the issuing of a challenge. At the risk of upsetting some, my view is it should only be performed on New Zealand soil when they are defending their home turf. I think it extraordinary that World Rugby allows the All Blacks to do the haka wherever they go. Remember, they get a national anthem as well.

It is even more absurd that their opponents are forced to stand and watch as the All Blacks aggressively summon the spirit of Tumatauenga, the Maori god of war, to be with them in battle.

I have to confess that, when this happened in my day, we stood where we wanted to.

And we certainly weren’t forced to stand mute while the opposition declared “war” on us.

I would like the Wallabies to go “old school” on Saturday. By that I mean standing up to the All Blacks when they perform the haka.

Why should they have to stand 20m away? I would be saying to the team, get in their faces. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened. You might recall the French stood toe-to-toe with the All Blacks during the haka at the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in 2007. Les Bleus went on to win that Test 20-18. It was a boilover; the All Blacks were gone.

My point is that the Wallabies have to make a stand on Saturday. It starts before the kick-off; it should start during the haka.

If World Rugby wants to fine the Wallabies, then so be it. Wallaby supporters would pay the fine 10 times over. We just want to see our boys play with passion and belief.

I mean no offence to the All Blacks. They are a wonderful side. New Zealand is a fine country and we have the best of relationships.

But, nonetheless, I do not believe the All Blacks have any right issuing a challenge to the Wallabies on Australian soil.

Of course, Australia can win the Bledisloe Cup. But the Wallabies are going to have to do more than they have currently done. They have to rock the boat.

This is our Eureka Stockade moment. Rather than taking a knee or wearing the Indigenous Wallaby jersey, take a stand against the haka.

New Zealand sports scientist Chris Toal says: “Every time I see the All Blacks do the haka before the game, I know they have an edge on the competition even before they start. The slapping and striking movements of the haka stimulate the mind and body into a full alert challenged state, while the verbal chanting opens up the airways and helps get the heart ready for combat.”

So, at the end of the haka, just before kick-off, the All Blacks are pumped up while their opponents have stood around for two national anthems and a haka. In total, it’s about 10 minutes of cooling down time for the Wallabies.

Just imagine a world title boxing match where Evander Holyfield has to stand around for 10 minutes while Mike Tyson winds himself up. It wouldn’t happen. Why is it that the All Blacks are given this special treatment?

Good on them for taking it. But we shouldn’t be the givers.

I’m saying to Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan, put yourself on the map. Take this fight to World Rugby and convince Bill Beaumont to address the issue.

Good luck to our boys on Saturday. You have to believe you can win and you have to trust your teammates.

Remember, playing in wet conditions, there are a few simple things you need to do well.

Firstly, get off the line in defence. If the ball is slippery, the attackers’ hands will be a little slower, so you can afford the blitz from almost every ruck.

You must play territory, first and foremost; and when you kick, the ball must go to land, not hand.

And remember, in the wet, the blindside is your friend. If the defending blindside winger drops back, you have space to run; if he defends flat, you can slide the ball in behind him on the deck.

They are simple things. But it’s the simple things that work in wet conditions.

Remember, in both previous Tests, we have had more than our share of ball and more than our share of territory. How do we use both better on Saturday than we have in the past?

To our captain, Michael Hooper, shock the world. Stand toe to toe with the All Blacks during the haka. Put a marker down. Rattle their cage.

To win this Bledisloe Cup match, we might need to start competing before the kick-off.