Comment
Ma’a Nonu laying down and accepting the All Blacks’ challenge with a solo haka encapsulated everything that Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry should be.
While the Sharks failed to live up to expectations in a rain-drenched second match of the All Blacks’ tour in Durban on Tuesday evening, the significance of Nonu’s haka response provided the clash with its billboard moment after the rugby itself failed to match the fight and intensity shown by the Stormers in the opening encounter last week.
That fine moment of Nonu’s Kapa o Pango after the All Blacks’ iconic Ka Mate haka will live long in the memory of everyone who witnessed it, despite the 54-0 loss of the home side.
There had been plenty of discussion about whether Nonu would respond to the haka, and in true Māori tradition, the double World Cup-winning All Black did exactly that.
What made the moment even more powerful was the reaction from the All Blacks themselves. The respect and awe shown by players such as Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson, Caleb Clarke, Ruben Love and Jordie Barrett indicated just what the moment meant. This was not just a former All Black answering a challenge from his old team.
It was a cultural exchange, a show of respect and a reminder of the deep connection between Māori culture and the jersey Nonu wore with distinction for so many years in a time when most of the current All Blacks players would have looked up to him, wishing to one day be in his shoes.
For the Sharks, it was also a moment that perhaps carried more significance than anything they produced during the 80 minutes.
The rugby almost became a by-product of the occasion because the hosts simply were not at their best. The weather made conditions difficult, but that cannot disguise the fact that the Sharks did not produce the sort of performance needed to make this a genuine contest.
There will probably be a running joke in Durban – and perhaps across the rest of South Africa – that a samoosa has more points than the Sharks after a frustrating evening at Kings Park. But the scoreboard will eventually be forgotten.
Nonu’s haka will not.
That is what makes Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry so compelling. It is about more than the Tests, the tries scored and the bone-crunching tackles. It is about the history between South Africa and New Zealand, culture, respect and plenty of the moments that goes beyond the game of rugby.
The All Blacks had their haka, delivered with intensity and pride, and the Sharks looked focused when they stared it down. But then, Nonu answered with Kapa o Panga. And for a few unforgettable moments at Kings Park, the rivalry was about everything rugby is supposed to be.
Even the staunchest Bok supporters will agree that, apart from a Springbok victory, few moments on this tour are likely to come close to what everyone watching experienced on Tuesday night in the Shark Tank.
