ByThe Maori people named it Aotearoa. Which loosely translated means the ‘”land of the long white cloud”. In 1642 Dutch sea Capt Able Tasman landed there and the name Nieuw Zeeland was printed on to Dutch maps of the time. No matter what we call it, it’s a stunning place.
On one trip to Aoetrora, I had the privilege of having a long talk with a Maori elder. He explained to me that the purpose of the Haka was to both challenge and intimidate their opponent. Historically the more fierce the Haka before a battle, the more likely your opponent was to reconsider having the fight and break off to high tail it home.
Think St Peter’s Basilica, Machu Picchu, Fatima, the Coliseum and Ibiza all rolled into one alter of human sacrifice, national supremacy and entertainment. Eden Park is the beating heart of how the New Zealanders indoctrinate themselves with the belief that their team is invincible. A belief system that has miraculously moved from myth to fact.
Legitimately, the Kiwis claim that the match was the last across almost five months of living, or more accurately existing, inside a Covid biosecurity bubble. Because of strict Covid restrictions at home, New Zealand were forced to play all of their 2021 Rugby Championship matches in Australia before moving their bubble to Europe for the November Internationals.
The World Cup-winning campaigns of England in 2003, South Africa in 2019, plus Australia in 1991 and 1999 all defeated New Zealand in the Shaky Isles, in the seasons prior to their lifting of the Webb Ellis Trophy.
Pity it didn't unsettle La Rochelle or the Bulls
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