Blues' throat-slitting gesture called ill-timed after terrorist attacks

The Blues perform a haka during ahead of last night's game against the Lions. Photosport

The Blues have had their victory rained upon by British media upset by an alleged "throat-slitting" gesture in the pre-match haka ahead of the Lions clash last night.

Noted London Telegraph sportswriter James Corrigan led the disapproval of the final gesture in the Blues' new haka, unveiled for the first time before the locals' stunning 22-16 win at Eden Park.

Corrigan said the performance could not have been any more ill-timed given the terrorist attacks in England where knives were used on victims, including one Australian woman who survived an attempted throat-slitting.

"Nobody wants it to turn into an international incident, but surely someone in the Blues set-up should have spotted the tasteless juxtaposition," Corrigan told his readers.

"Holding a minute's silence for the victims of the Manchester bomb and the London knife attacks and then, immediately afterwards, performing a tribal dance which concludes with a collection of throat-slitting gestures in the direction of the British and Irish opposition.

"At the very best it could be described as inappropriate."

The gesture where the bulk of the Blues players drew their thumbs across their throat evoked memories of initial criticism of Kapa o Pango, the All Blacks alternate haka to Ka Mate.

When Kapa O Pango was introduced in a test against South Africa in Dunedin in 2005, initial performances drew similar criticism in some quarters for an apparent throat-slitting gesture.

English columnist Mick Cleary criticised the new haka at the time as "unmistakably provocative ... there is a fine line and the All Blacks crossed it. Carisbrook is a rugby field not a back-street alley."

The All Blacks appeared to then tinker with the theatrics around that particular part of the haka. Players still drew their arms horizontally across their bodies, but much lower than the throat.

Corrigan acknowledged the intention to honour the late Jonah Lomu and another former Blues player Kurtis Haiu but wrote the gesture achieved the "exact opposite".

"Criticism of the haka has been inevitably building in the past few days," wrote Corrigan of the pre-match ritual being extended beyond tests and a match with New Zealand Maori to include the games against Super Rugby sides.

"Many insist it is turning into little more than a branding exercise beloved by the marketing men," he said.

"We have reached a stage where there is a risk of overkill. The danger is a novelty to be enjoyed will turn into a formality to be endured, no matter how genuine the players are in their renditions.

"From Saturday, the Lions will face eight more hakas in 28 days.

"Warren Gatland's men will see more tongues than the average dentist, but we can only pray that the throat-slitting desists.

"It is not necessary, and although the purists will assure us nothing violent is intended and it is more a mark of respect, it does not always appear that way.

"And it definitely seemed ill-suited and ill-timed at Eden Park in this of all weeks."