C'mon New Zealand, put the Bledisloe on the line this weekend

Looks like it wouldn't of made a difference if it was put on the line to be honest, but I still think highly of the wallabies

Yeah, include Tasmania in that!

If you watch a video of the Kangaroos doing the war cry in the 1960's, and the All Blacks doing the haka in 1973, they are both equally insipid. Haka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emJyEa4z2Ec War cry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jzE8GjyplU But each place developed a completely different attitude towards it's indigenous culture after that time, and I think if you listen to the comments of the rugby league old boys talking about doing the war dance and making a mockery of it, you get a good idea of where things went in Australia. I'm Aboriginal and I think we shouldn't rush to try and create our own haka or anything like that. The awesome hakas they do now come out of genuine relationships with Maori people and a genuine sense of spirit that has developed over a long period of time. Just getting in a choreographer, even a very good one, to create an Aboriginal war cry for the wallabies or kangaroos isn't going to have that same spirit attached to it. Kapa o pango took over a year to develop and was developed just for the all blacks. But it would be great if one day we could get to a point where Aboriginal culture was so normalised and part of Australian identity that people saw it as an uplifting and unifying moment signifying everyone's connection to this country if the wallabies or kangaroos did a pre-game challenge developed just for them that spoke about their identity and their battle, maybe using traditional Aboriginal dances from the homelands of Indigenous super rugby players as a starting point and then incorporating elements of the many other cultures in the national team; tongan, papuan, fijian, british, etc whether with words in the lyrics or some of the movements. Anyway, can always live in hope and in the meantime have a quiet jealousy of what the All blacks have got ;)

Your name is a bit of a misnomer RE: understanding the whole banter thing eh ?

Jez, get your point but one trophy is enough for this game. NZ kept the big old Bledisloe because our blokes couldn't beat them in Auckland. Until we can win 2-0 or 2-1, it still belongs to them.

Phil, thanks for that as it is good to read that some Australian sporting teams have tried to embraced the Original culture of Australia. If Australians seriously looked at their Original culture they will be amazed at its richness and the incredible life force contained within. It's not so much about copying the All Blacks or other Polynesian rugby teams who all perform a traditional war dance before (going into battle) at the start of rugby matches or other sports for that matter. It is IMHO about respect for who you are, the people you represent and the land of your ancestors from where you hail from. When Australians are on the same page with the Original people and learn to embrace the culture; I'm sure then we will see amazing things start to happen. Now I'm not saying all is rosy in the Land of the Long White Cloud but what we have seen is that rugby more then anything over the past 140 years or so has been a major contributor to bringing forth respect to our Maori culture and the All Blacks over that time has cemented our people in unity. BTW, good post or should I say nice fishing Jeznez but sorry to say you won't get any bites on your post from this Kiwi and all the best to your Wallabies. To our team the mighty All Blacks; E HOA MA, KI TE KAPA O PONGO, KIA KAHA, KIA MAIA, KIA MANAWANUI KI TO AO WHUTU PAORO A TE RA NEI. MA TE ATUA E MANAAKI KI A KOUTOU KATOA.

Put the RC up as well then... You only win it due to two home games out of three... We got one. If it wasn't in its restricted format you'd have been unlikely to beat us and SAF on the road. That's right 42-13

Nothing like spreading good cheer to kith and kin as an incentive

Do you have an interest in the game John? I think you'll have to do better to upset Kiwis with the rubbish you're coming up with champ lol

We are overdue to hand it over so I think that's a good thing. Oz are due success in the Bled after this years effort. With our new generation coming through we need to generate the feeling of loss, the chase and the desire again. It's all part of building character in the new boys coming through. Better to start from scratch with little in the cabinet than be handed a silver spoon I say. So the harder the challenge the better.next year is an exciting year for the ABs. Replacing McCaw, our midfield, kaino, captain etc

And I thought the Bledisloe was the battle for the greatest prize in rugby. Just saying.....

The Mandela Plate would be great but the Cook Cup ain't worth much.

Hey Taylorman. You do realise that if the Aussies win it then the third game will be straight out the window next year. It will revert to a two game series with the first game in Oz every year.

Excellent riposte, I was hoping for NZ vs. Scotland or Japan.

YELL IT LOUDER Frontrow and it might hide your fear a little better mate. Why not include the Bled, as Taylorman says if the Wallabies win that will be 2-1 this year? The Bled would 'demean' the RWC. Hilarious. The Wallabies might diminish the Kiwi trophy cabinet though, and I think that is all you are really concerned about.

Serious, you actually read Aussie newspapers? Nuff said really... except any further comment from you will only re-inforce what you've already said.

The RL Kangaroos used to do a war cry before games taught to them by Stradbroke Island people; like the All Blacks when they were the Mostly Whites, they weren't particularly good at it and didn't do it with much passion or meaning. Unlike the All Blacks, who as New Zealand became prouder and more knowledgeable about its Maori culture learnt more and more about the meaning of it and ingrained it into their cultural DNA, becoming better and better at it as the years went by, the Kangaroos gave up on it in the 60's. It would appear (like much of Australia at the time I guess) they couldn't be bothered taking that next step from just a curious southern hemisphere pre-game ritual from a forgotten culture, to actually learning and respecting the meaning and making it part of who they are as a team. There have been new ones developed in both AFL & NRL in recent years, and kangaroos players pushing to bring it back for the Australian team (which might eventually lead to the Wallabies adopting one too), but no interest from the head honchos yet. Bizarrely, the only example of an official Australian international sporting team doing a war cry in recent years was the all-Indigenous Australian team 2 years ago in the International Rules vs Ireland. Good for them, but a bit of a shame to see a team in a made-up sport that practically never plays do it before established test teams.

The natural order for the WC to belong in the AB's trophy cabinet? Yet it took them 24 years to win their second one?

You would be right World's Biggest except that this catch-cry has been in Australian Newspapers as well..and there's was more serious