Liam Messam leads the haka ahead of an All Blacks test last season. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The All Blacks' haka works, and it's got nothing to do with scaring the opposition.
That's the verdict from English performance coach Paul Boross - "the pitch doctor" - who says the bonding element of the haka gives the All Blacks a significant edge.
He told The Guardian's Robert Kitson
that "what happens immediately before a game - during the anthems, in the final moments before kick-off - can make an enormous difference in a way few people understand."
Boross said: "Everyone talks about the haka being a war chant and being there to frighten the opposition. Actually what it's doing is bonding them psychologically and physically into a tight unit. I've had whole sports teams, before they go out, just breathing at the same rate. It makes them feel connected and builds rapport."
On the subject of unfair advantage, Boross said other teams should find ways of emulating the All Blacks' pre-match ritual, and had specific advice for Wales.
