why oh why weren't the all blacks allowed do the haka today against the welsh?
970020
Fine by me, let em' do it in the changing room from now on.\nOppositions try to ignore it, but that upsets them and they say it is disrespectful.\nMaybe in their culture, but as guests it is they who are disrespectful. \nTo them it is cultural, to the opposition it is provocative, insulting and time-wasting. Oppositions have a right to a warm-up of their choosing.\nThey were hosted by Wales. They should have respected the decision, but they sulked.
822750
If it was a rugby match they were probably singing 'bread of heaven' or 'hymns and arias'. The other thing is oggy oggy oggy. Doesn't actually mean anything sorry.
313470
i dont think so. at the moment i think he is good enough to be all black half back, but why go back to nz and put your body on the line, when you can earn mega bucks in the u.k?
999362
The New Zealand All Blacks! woo hoo!!
762342
Some of us have to work!!  Didn't I just ask the same question last night?\n\nAnyway, With our lack of firepower, it seems I may actually be playing because, Fernandez (assault) , Wales(used to play for jambos so has to miss 3/4 of games due to niggling long term injury) and Big P ishi N ishi ( suspended, thank god!) are all missing and I'm next in line!!!\n\nSo with me and wee Naisy up front, I'll say, we will bag one each and draw 2-2!
680697
I feel your pain. I'm a rugby union fan in the USA and there's pretty much no chance of my country playing a competitive side anytime soon. Even if they did it would be a disaster.\n\nI'm not sure who Kenya is playing most of the time, but I hope you get something good. Maybe the junior All Blacks or the Maori. Rugby is an amazing sport that deserves more recognition than it gets. \n\nBest of luck to Kenyan rugby.
418500
The reason is because the rules say in England that a game needs to have a least of 5 points to be consider a game with a difference of two points to consider the winner of that specific game.\nIt all goes back to the British
788306
I think it was an unfair match - they have travelled half way around the world, were totally jet-lagged, and had 5 days to train together - which is nothing. The Welsh are at the beginning of a new season, totally fresh, and have been training together for a while, know each other etc.... I think if you gave the Pacific Islandes 2 more weeks the Welsh would have been in real trouble
399063
No they are not allowed, it will kill the passion in the game. controversial decisions is what make football so exciting
755574
The Pumas are one of the form rugby teams at the moment.  I think on present form they would just about smoke any international team bar the All Blacks.  I would love to see every player in the Argentinian team playing professionally and the infrastructure to support them.  Go the Pumas!
1149266
Well as a descendant of a Scot, I now some of the history. Now, granted that was a long time ago. Just like native Mexicans shouldn't really be mad at Spain and Blacks against whites for the slave thing. I mean, it isn't happening now in other words. You CAN be mad at the people who did it, but they're dead now. I'm not to happy with Mary Queen of Scots for kicking out my clan many years ago. We were reinstated in the counsel in the early 1900s so it's over now.\nIn England, just about everyone who supports a team has hooligans for that team. It's not just the Scots.
1180548
Before I start I'm Welsh and proud of it, I celebrate St Davids day, wear my rugby shirt and have the Welsh flag on my number plates.  \n\nI really think it is a shame that there is so much controversy over the St Georges Cross.  I think that it should be flown (but maybe not those car flags!) and NOT just for the blasted World Cup!  For some reason you're not allowed to be proud of being English.  If my other half wanted to wear an England top or fly the flag there's nothing stop him only a harmless bit of banter (which he gives to me too!).  I think you should reclaim St Georges Day and the flag for the nation and be proud of it!
958077
I think the match was cancelled.  On the official Pacific Islanders Rugby web site, Pat Lam is quoted doing an interview, with this message before the interview quote,\n"(Background: The warmup game prior to the three tests has been cancelled \nand two players have had to pull out of the tour and have been replaced.....)"\n\nThe quote for Pat Lam is,\n'"Obviously it was disappointing to lose the warmup game and the extra time due to the fact that the Northern Hemisphere Clubs weren't releasing the players until the international window opened, I suppose they've gone back into a bit of the dark ages where we don't assemble fully as a team until November the 5th, which is this Sunday coming and then we play the Welsh the following Saturday, so we're only going to get about four training runs really, to get everyone into the same systems and structures, whereas the Welsh team are already together, they're preparing to play the Aussies this week and then will carry on with us, so they have got an ideal buildup. We don't have the ideal buildup, but I suppose Pacific Islands teams are used to this, and that's the challenge we've got and we've just to get on with it"'\n\nYou need to scroll down this page to find the interview\nhttp://www.pacificislanders.co.nz/
845622
It appeared that Thurston was able to ground the ball properly.\n\nAs to the ball coming of Inglis' shoulder.  That is true, the New Zealander pushed it back into Gregs shoulder.\n\nThe reason it was not awarded a try, in my himble opinion, Greg would have been classed as 'playing' or 'going' for the ball.\n\nThe rule, as well as many others, are too contentious these days.  At least 10 years ago, rules were changed to make the rules less vague.  Somewhere along the line they decided to introduce rules that are vague, and contentious.  Another example is the 'strip'.  Did the player drop it on purpose? Should the player have held onto it more (ball security)? Etc.
1116622
its the old act. scotland wales or northern ireland do well, they're british. they do bad, theyre scottish welsh or norn irish. need more good players cos their squad is just average in depth
888967
Join your local rugby club and apply thorugh them, or an Irish club. Other than that eBay althought he RFU are now cancelling tickets on eBay that they can trace the owners on!
886292
The Haka has become world famous through its use by the 'All Blacks' prior to each of their international rugby matches. However, there are many types of Haka used for many different reasons. While the Haka is indeed an integral part of Maori culture, there is no cultural prohibition on it being performed by non-Maoris. The key is to understand the heritage and meaning behind the Haka and to treat it with the cultural respect it deserves. Non-Maoris who perform the Haka without understanding the background and without showing due respect would cause deep offence.\n\nYou also need to understand that in the past performing a Haka was not a 'one-sided' event. It was common for there to be a responding Haka. Clearly, given the cultural nature of the Haka, responding Hakas would be performed by other Polynesian/Maori groups, but it would not be considered offensive for any group to respond to the Haka by performing their own form of 'challenge'. As I said before, the issue is not the race or culture of the people performing the Haka or the responding Haka but the level of respect being shown for the process. \n\nThere are two links below. One will take you through the history and explain the importance of the Haka to Maori and New Zealanders in general. When you get to the linked webpage, click on the 'Launch the Haka Feature' icon.\n\nThe other will show you that the Haka can be responded to without offence.\n\nBy the way the word is MAORI; there is no 'w'.