Poms plan to snub haka
GREAT Britain players have been instructed not to face up to the haka before kick-off tonight as controversy prepares to engulf the Tri-Nations once more.
Just two weeks after Australia prop Willie Mason caused a storm by swearing during the traditional pre-match ritual, Lions coach Brian Noble has told The Saturday Daily Telegraph his men will fan out across Jade Stadium this evening as they would if no haka was taking place.
"We will get ready to play. The players will take their normal kick-off positions," Noble said when asked what his men would do during the Maori challenge.
The refusal of the Brits to face off against their opponents at Jade Stadium is certain to have the Kiwis' blood boiling, with Bulldog Mason slammed for his actions even though he and his teammates had linked arms and faced their opposition to acknowledge the haka.
If Great Britain are receiving from the kick-off, some players will be 50 metres away from Ruben Wiki and his men when they launch into the ritual. Conversely, if Britain are kicking off there could be an uncomfortable confrontation about who has the right to stand on the halfway line.
While the build-up to game three of the tournament has not had the same colour as that for the first two matches, there were strong indications last night that feelings run deep between the Kiwi and Lions camps.
NZ coach Brian McClennan derided Noble's plan to ring referees coach Robert Finch about referee Paul Simpkins and reckoned all the pressure was on the tourists given their government lottery funding, huge travelling press corps and high expectations.
"Too right there is," McClennan said as his side prepared to train at the match venue.
"They've been preparing for this tournament all year. They've had their players in camps every month. There's a lot of pressure on them.
"I know everyone's saying there's pressure on us because we're the holders but we don't have anywhere near the resources of both countries (Britain and Australia). We're always underdogs going into games so the pressure is on them."
Speaking after a training session at Rugby League Park, Noble dismissed the claims, saying: "If you think of yourself under pressure, you're under pressure. Performance is just that: you can only control what is in the now."
Noble called Finch yesterday but McClennan stormed: "I don't get all this. Surely you watch the ref. If they haven't researched what Simpkins does . . . I mean, he's on TV every weekend. For God's sake!"
Britain have yet to finalise their bench with Lee Gilmour the only one of five reserves to have played Test football before. Gareth Carvell or Jon Wilkin are expected to drop out.
The Kiwis will omit 18th man Adam Blair. "Being only 20, we just thought he needed a little bit of a freshener and Jason Cayless comes in who's an experienced prop . . . who's going to be the props in Wellington, I don't know," said McClennan.
"The way (Blair) has been playing and the way he's been training, he's put some heat on the other boys."
After pre-selling just 9000 tickets, officials are hoping for a healthy walk-up. It's the first Test in Christchurch for 10 years. Ruben Wiki and Adrian Morley played in the Kiwis' 32-12 win at Lancaster Park in 1996 while David Kidwell took part in the curtain-raiser.
