British hacks put boot into the haka

British newspapers indulging in a frenzy of pre-test paranoia have compared the All Blacks to crazed thugs and slighted their haka as "a bad part of their culture" ahead of tomorrow's match at Twickenham.

"If a crazed thug drew a finger threateningly across his throat while screaming into someone's face on a high street, police would have good grounds for arrest," the Times cried on its website.

"Why should such antics be tolerated on a rugby field two minutes before kick-off?

"The haka has increasingly become a tool of intimidation."

As New Zealand veterans of the New Zealand-Britain rugby clashes have predicted in recent weeks, the obsession with finding ways to negate the influence of the haka have intensified in the wake of the Welsh bid to squeeze it between the two anthems.

The Times has claimed that the All Blacks undermined their claims to ancient tradition by producing their new haka, Kapa o Pango, which included an "unacceptable" throat-slitting gesture.

"The All Blacks should perform their ritual one last time and then consign it to history, before others do it for them," the Times said.

And one of its sports columnists, Simon Barnes, noted that with violence escalating in all the contact sports, "the haka-fuelled New Zealanders are leading the way with the darker possibilities of the game".

"Slice it which way you will, a war dance is no sane precursor to an afternoon of wholesome amusement," Barnes said.

"If the New Zealanders really want to go on about their 'culture', I can only reply that the haka is a bad part of their culture."

A former part of English culture, pig-sticking, had been consigned to the wheelie bin of history and "obviously the haka has to go the same way", he said.

Andrew Baldock, rugby writer for the Britain's national news agency, the Press Association, branded the haka "a totally needless carry-on" .

"If New Zealand want to Riverdance their way into a test match then fine, but reserve it for places like Auckland, Dunedin, Wellington and Christchurch, rather than London."

But the media din has not dented the All Blacks' focus and there is a confidence running through the team to deflect the Twickenham factor, says assistant coach Wayne Smith.

"It's a difficult place to play but we think we'll have a good following there which is exciting," Smith said.

"It's a good place to be for the guys, and we'll find out a fair bit about them.

"When you name the team you always feel a lift in intensity, because it's England at Twickenham."

England coach Andy Robinson has also applied pressure to Irish referee Alan Lewis, saying he should be vigilant about New Zealand twisting the scrum, using decoy runners and pushing the laws at the breakdown.

Nine of Robinson's starting XV toured with the Lions this year.

Smith, a former coach at Northampton, said England undoubtedly had the personnel to cause some headaches.

"They've got a good number of Lions in their team and they've also got a couple who could have made a real impact on the Lions tour - notably Vickery," Smith said.

- NZPA