Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has appealed to the Ellis Park crowd to show the Haka the respect it deserves when the All Blacks perform the iconic ritual before Saturday’s opening Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test.
Erasmus pointed to the silence that greeted the Haka when the All Blacks played the Stormers in Cape Town in the opening match of their tour, and hopes for a repeat in Johannesburg.
“I would love it if the people at Ellis Park did the same as the guys in Cape Town, where it’s quiet, where we hear the Haka 100 per cent, because I think it’s something special,” Erasmus said.
“We all appreciate and respect what this series means.”
Erasmus’s appeal comes with the memories of the chaotic scenes before the 2024 Test at Ellis Park, which the Springboks won 31-27, still fresh.
In something of a perfect storm, members of the 62,000-capacity crowd sang “Ole, Ole, Ole” during the Haka, the stadium DJ played music, and an Emirates A380 flew low over the stadium as pyrotechnics were set off.
All Blacks utility back Damian McKenzie, who was also booed when lining up kicks at goal, expressed his disappointment and frustration with the crowd’s behaviour in a media interview after the match.
SA Rugby subsequently issued a formal apology to New Zealand Rugby over the Haka interference.
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In a comedy of errors, a sound engineer mistakenly interpreted the crowd’s cheering as a sign that the Haka had finished and restarted the music programme.
“It was never the intention to schedule any activities that would coincide with such an iconic moment of any Test match against the All Blacks,” SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said at the time. “That it occurred was a result of timekeeping challenges and simple human error.”
Erasmus wants no repeat, while acknowledging the significance of the rivalry and the quality of the opponents.
“We know how good the All Blacks are,” he said. “Since 2018, when they were leading the world, we’ve always wondered when they’re going to beat us again, and they will beat us again in the future, but hopefully not this weekend.
“Some guys will face the All Blacks for the first time, and they’ve heard from their teammates how intense it is. This is a great occasion, and we’re all looking forward to it.”
Erasmus, who grew up admiring the All Blacks, added that he modelled his game as a loose forward on New Zealand greats Zinzan Brooke and Murray Mexted.
“I have always deeply respected the All Blacks, and I have no problem with South Africans who support them,” he said. “So, we’re all good.”
