Thanks willie, you just motivated the kiwis for melbourne. :lol:
Willie Mason has been accused of disrespecting the haka after Australia defeated New Zealand 30-18 in a spiteful opening Tri Nations encounter at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday.
Mason, who sustained an ugly eye injury when crunched in a ferocious tackle by Kiwi enforcer David Kidwell, set the tone for a bloody battle when he stared down the haka and mouthed an obscenity.
Kidwell denied the hit was retaliation for Mason's actions during the traditional Kiwi pre-game ritual, but said his actions were disrespectful - a claim vehemently rejected by Mason.
Kiwi coach Brian McClennan says Mason's verbal assault of the team while they were doing the haka showed a complete lack of respect for New Zealand culture.
McClennan added Mason deserved to get smashed as he did by Kidwell.
The Bulldogs enforcer then ensured a fiery rematch in Melbourne next Saturday night by declaring he'd get square with Kidwell for his "cheap shot".
"Do I owe him one? Yeah, I do owe him one," Mason said.
"It's just part of the game, it's test football.
"You give some, you get some, that's about it.
"I didn't see him, I thought it was just a cheap shot, he wasn't in front of me, he was at the side.
"Whether they were trying to call it a big hit or not, I call it a cheap shot.
"That's the way he plays, I've never seen him run in the middle of the ruck to take a hit up.
"I don't care what he says."
Asked if Mason's actions during the haka were disrespectful, Kidwell said: "Yeah, it is, it's a big tradition for my people."
However, Mason said he meant no offence.
"It is a test match. I respect the haka, I respect the Maori culture and I felt a lot of emotion and things were said in the heat of the battle."
Earlier in the week, the NZRL asked cultural advisor Bailey Mackey to speak with the team about the cultural significance of the ritual.
The fiery mood carried onto the field as well - in the 23rd minute, a stoush between three quarters Matt King and Manu Vatuvei sparking an all-in brawl.
King came up swinging after Vatuvei pushed him over the sideline and into an advertising boarding, with a crowd of 17,887 baying for blood.
"I thought I got pushed in the back into the siteboard and I didn't think it was the right thing to do," King said.
"I just wanted to let him know I wasn't going to stand for it."
Vatuvei also pushed Darren Lockyer over the sideline after he cleaned up a ball in his in-goal, the Australian captain narrowly missing a quad bike on the sidelines.
"I was only an inches away from ending up on the motorbike - I was fortunate," Lockyer said.
Debutant Reni Maitua, who sustained an ankle injury, labelled it "dangerous" due to the proximity of the advertising boardings.
When the sides settled down long enough to play football, Australia took control of the game.
The Kiwis scored early through makeshift pivot Nigel Vagana, but two tries in the space of four minutes to Kangaroos fullback Karmichael Hunt swung the advantage in the visitors' favour.
While the defending champions were willing till the end, Australia always seemed in control, thanks mainly to a starring hand from halfback Johnathan Thurston.
In his first opportunity to make Andrew Johns' No.7 jersey his own in test football, the North Queensland playmaker had a hand in four of the Kangaroos five tries and kicked five goals from six attempts in a man-of-the-match performance.
Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart said the fisticuffs were part and parcel of test football.
"I didn't see anyone in the stand not enjoy it," he said.
"Nobody got hurt, that's what you expect.
"You don't condone it, but sometimes it's nice to see that passion.
"If international football didn't have that, it would show that it's not important for the players.
McClennan was pleased with the effort of his team and predicted improvement as the tournament unfolded.
"You can't win the final if you don't make it," he said.
