SA Rugby apologises for haka incident as All Blacks question Mbonambi try

The All Blacks were given a hostile reception by a spectacularly noisy crowd at Ellis Park on Saturday but some contentious elements have rankled the New Zealanders and forced an apology from SA Rugby. 

There were a number of controversial talking points from the game on the field and off it, not least being the Ellis Park PA system blaring out the popular Mgarimbe hit Sister Bethina during the All Blacks’ traditional prematch performance of the haka. 

Less controversially, though also being talked about as it seemed to be down to a timing mistake, was a flyover of an Emirates Airlines A380 airliner. 

Bongi Mbonambi’s early try that was allowed by referee Wayne Barnes might have seen the hooker lose control of the ball before dotting down in the comeback 31-27 win to SA.

The haka incident could be seen as more insensitive given New Zealand’s indigenous Māori people’s Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died on Friday and the All Blacks were seen in prayer for him just before performing the ceremonial dance.

SA Rugby has apologised for that incident, saying it was “distressed by the breach of protocol and the apparent display of lack of respect it may have suggested”. 

“The SA Rugby Union has written to New Zealand Rugby to formally apologise for a sequence of events that led to the conclusion of the haka being obscured during Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test. 

“The closing moments of the haka were overlaid by music and fireworks and a flyover by an A380 airliner as pre-planned scheduling failed to be observed.” 

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said: “I apologised in person and have written to the NZRFU to formally express our regret and apologies for what occurred. 

“It was never the intention to schedule any activities that would coincide with such an iconic moment of any Test match against the All Blacks. That it occurred was a result of timekeeping challenges and simple human error. 

“In the confusion, the crowd’s excited cheering was mistaken to have marked the conclusion of the haka by an unsighted sound engineer who restarted the music programme. It was highly regrettable but in no way deliberate.

“We hold dear the values and traditions of the game. The unfortunate events in no way represent any lack of respect that SA rugby holds for the significance and history of the haka. We will ensure such errors cannot be repeated.” 

The All Blacks seemed bemused by the incident. 

“Look, it’s the first time I’ve played here in Johannesburg — I was told it was pretty loud,” flyhalf Damian McKenzie said. 

“I guess you can understand the roars of the crowd; [through] the music’s a bit, yeah, probably don’t agree with it as much. 

“I don’t know when the plane was supposed to fly over. It [the haka] is an opportunity for us to connect with everyone back home and I guess we knew the noise was gong to be there but it’s out of my control.” 

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson was asked whether Mbonambi's score was “maybe not a try”. 

“Maybe? Pardon?” He responded jokingly. “Oh, OK, no I’m just checking if it was a try or not.” 

South Africans have been responding in the war of words that has been seen on social media. 

There were question marks over whether Mbonambi lost control of the ball in the grounding of his try. 

South Africans have also pointed out that many decisions in the match seemed to go against the Boks. 

There was a contentious early yellow card for fullback Aphelele Fassi and during his 10 minutes off the field New Zealand were able to take the early control of the game. 

While the All Blacks protested Mbonambi’s try, gesturing at officials to check the replays, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was put off his conversion attempt and went over the “shot clock” timer, so the kick was disallowed. 

Later McKenzie had a conversion attempt that went well over the shot clock but it was not overruled. 

There were a number of warnings for the All Blacks in their red zone that viewers asserted should have led to yellow cards for the New Zealanders.