Before everything went tits up on Saturday morning, we were treated to one of the most hair-raising sports moments in living memory as a raucous Irish support drowned out the All Blacks' Haka with their rendition of The Fields of Athenry.
While it certainly made for an incredible atmosphere, some wondered was it disrespectful to react to the Haka in such a fashion. However, Haka expert, Wetini Mitai-Ngatai maintains there was no issue with what he describes as a "beautiful" moment between the two teams.
Speaking on New Zealand breakfast television, Mitai-Ngatai said "I thought it was lovely. It was beautiful," adding: "For me, that's real. They brought it with them and it's fantastic that they did that because we're witnessing something that happens in the northern hemisphere."
From Mitai-Ngatai's point of view the Haka is a way of the team showcasing their culture and with the Irish fans doing likewise, it made for an unforgettable ocassion:
For us, we're experiencing the culture that comes from their place...
It didn't put me off watching, I actually enjoyed it and I enjoyed the clash. You could see the Irish team standing there, they were getting inspired. Everybody's nervous, including the All Blacks.
He finished by saying "The main thing about that singing was that it was beautiful, it had volume and they were all in tune."
Unfortunately. the Irish performance that followed was deeply disappointing but when the dust settles on this tournament the pre-match clash will hopefully be remembered as an incredible stand-alone moment.
