Parkhead,
The Haka (right spelling) is the challenge of war by the Mauri, to stand there and face it calmly shows that your not afraid. It is deemed cowardly to turn your backs to it or ignore it.....besides it wouldn't make for a good show.
I had the priveledge to face off against several championship NZ high school teams when our HS squad travelled down there in 1996. We faced off to several Haka's and those guys get fcucking intense...they stand there shouting their heads off in unison with that tribal sound/beat hitting themselves as hard as they can....you can see the blood lust filling their eyes (they have turned red by this time) and every vein in their neck and head is protruding under the skin......
It is quite a different feeling watching it on the field then on TV...and for me being 5'6" and a 140lbs at the time I think I actually partially shit my shorts.
