In The Lions' Den: Red Army's mark of respect for All Blacks

Herald reporter Cam Carpenter travelled to Wellington in a Maui campervan following the Lions fans. This is his latest report.

The Red Army's singing and chanting echoed across Westpac Stadium last night, as the Lions marched to a 24-21 victory over the All Blacks.

But when boys in black formed the triangle for the haka, the stadium descended into silence.

The Lions fans showed true mana by saving their chants and for the game and allowing the spirited haka lead by TJ Perenara to be heard loud and clear across the Cake Tin.

For most Kiwis nothing comes close to the pride we feel when the All Blacks perform the haka. Not even our national anthem can come close to that feeling.

But the haka hasn't always been respected.

When the All Blacks played a Test against England at Twickenham, the 82,000 crowd transformed into a choir to drown out the haka with a rendition of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

There have even been encounters with South Africa, where the haka has been booed by fans.

The haka is the greatest tradition in rugby and booing and singing throughout it is unsportsmanlike.

The Lions fans have shown their respect for our greatest sporting tradition, and it's great to see so many Kiwi fans show their respect by celebrating our rival's win.

At the end of the day, a Lions win over the All Blacks is good for the tour and makes the deciding test even more exciting.

May the best team win next weekend!