Interview with former Maori coach Matt Te Pou and a welcome for Maori ABs to Rotorua.
Herald reporter Heath Moore is spending five weeks in a Maui campervan following the Lions fans. This is his latest report.
For the Lions their clash on Saturday might be viewed as yet another "training run" but for the Maori All Blacks the mammoth task signals their biggest game sincetheir heroics in 2005.
Can history repeat? 12 years ago the Maori All Blacks overcame arguably their biggest hurdle in their 129-year history when they beat the Lions in Hamilton. It was their first victory over the men in red in eight attempts.
Under Matt Te Pou, the Maori All Blacks won 87.5 per cent of their games in what will go down as one of the best eras of Maori rugby of all time when they toppled the British & Irish Lions, England, Ireland, Scotland, Argentina, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
What does this clash mean to the Maori All Blacks and its fans? Everything and then some.
Reflecting on his success in 2005, Te Pou, who is the only Maori All Blacks coach to beat the Lions, told the Herald that any match-up against the Lions is the pinnacle of Maori rugby.
"I was part of a Maori All Blacks side that won 35 of its 40 games, but this [the famous victory over the Lions in 2005] was something else.
"You could tell by the quietness in camp that this was the big one. We tracked the Lions, we sat together and saw them play Bay of Plenty and Taranaki. You could feel it in the room, you could hear a pin drop while watching the games.
"But then walking out on to the field against the Lions in 2005, it was another level. We weren't playing a midweek team, we were playing a test side.
"We don't get a World Cup, this game on Saturday is as big as it gets. We have four countries pulling together. In our time in 2005 we had beaten England, Ireland and Scotland. We never played Wales. But here they are in the same jersey. It was bloody huge.
"The guys treated it with such respect. This game is going to be huge because the Lions are here for the tests. These other games are like a training run. They'll lift for the tests."
New Zealand Maori captain Jono Gibbes (R) and coach Matt Te Pou (L) celebrate after defeating the British and Irish Lions in their match in Hamilton in 2005.
Like the Lions, the Maori All Blacks don't play regular international rugby, a barrier even some of the best coaches struggle to navigate their way through.
But Te Pou believes there is something special in the Maori jersey, something that brings the fans and players together like no other.
"We're fiercely proud. Our history starts from 1888, well before the NZRU was formed in 1892.
"Maoridom took to the game, it was part of our culture. Our people are extremely proud to be a Maori All Blacks.
"There is a collectiveness about it. I believe that the Maori Battalion during the war and the Maori All Blacks are the only two groups than can unite all iwi across the country together. Because they are fiercely independent. It's hard for any leader to pull them together, but come Saturday when the team comes together, we'll all be behind them."
Ahead of the Lions clash a Maori All Blacks exhibition is on display in Rotorua showcasing the rich history of our Native sides dating back to 1888. The exhibition takes us back to the Maori All Blacks' first game and walks us through time detailing major historical moments in time through to today.
Members of the Maori All Blacks were given a private viewing of the Maori rugby exhibition in the build up to their clash with the Lions on Saturday. Photo / Heath Moore
Former Maori All Black captain Charlie Ngatai said it was a special moment to learn about the legacy of Maori rugby and use that for motivation ahead of their clash with the Lions.
"The 2005 game has been discussed, but we're also trying to path our own legacy. We have a lot of history being NZ Maori players.
"It's the culture of the Maoris. They were here a long time ago and seeing the history on the wall gives you an appreciation of how many years Maori rugby has been around. That feeds a lot of hunger and pride for each player.
"Having a simple game plan and enjoying the culture and being able adapt is important. We sing a lot in the team, we have a lot of laughs and enjoyment. That's what Maoris used to do back in the war as well as past teams.
"It's massive, they only come around once every 12 years. I remember watching the 2005 series when I was at school and wishing I could be a part of the next tour."
Te Pou said the exhibition shows Maori have rugby history, a history that was unknown until now.
• Heath Moore travelled in a campervan provided by Maui, who had no control over editorial coverage.
