Hugh Farrelly talks to Ireland's latest skipper, fullback Geordan Murphy, about facing up to the haka prior to Friday's meeting with the New Zealand Maori in The Irish Independent.
"The haka promises to be something special when Ireland line up against the New Zealand Maori on Friday night, but it may come as a surprise to the host team to learn that the Irish captain has been on the other side of the fence when it comes to the Maori war dance, writes Hugh Farrelly.
"When he was a student at Newbridge College in Kildare, Geordan Murphy was part of an exchange scheme with Auckland Grammar, a famed rugby school in New Zealand, and during that time performed his share of hakas.
"He went on to face New Zealand's haka eight times, seven with Ireland and once with the Lions in 2005 and it provides a unique insight into the practice and its importance to the Maori culture."
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