Some Philly style on the rugby pitch

Philadelphia was the talk of New Zealand last week. Or at least Philadelphia was the talk of rugby-loving New Zealanders, which means the entire 4.5 million population of the island nation where rugby is the national sport and a way of life.

And once again it was Philadelphia sports fans - specifically rugby fans - gathered last Saturday at sold-out PPL Park in Chester for a deliriously anticipated match between New Zealand's Maori All Blacks and the U.S. national team, the Eagles - who created as much buzz as the David-vs.-Goliath contest on the field.

The last time the Eagles played the Maori All Blacks, in 2006, the Americans lost, 74-6. Ouch. When the two teams met this time, the All Blacks were coming off a 40-15 thrashing of Canada a week earlier. That same Canadian team had embarrassed the Eagles, 27-9, in a World Cup qualifier in August.

And so the stage was set for another blowout by the All Blacks. A writer in England's Guardian newspaper predicted a 50-point New Zealand thumping over rugby's underachieving superpower.

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the USA that day. Not only were the All Blacks loaded with capped Caseys, but they came armed with the haka, the most powerful cultural mojo in international sports.

The haka is a Maori tribal war dance performed by touring New Zealand rugby teams since 1888. It is a precision call-and-response drill featuring aggressive muscular movements, slapping of thighs, and stomping of feet, accompanied by fierce facial gestures with bulging eyes and protruding tongues.

It is at once frightening, comical, and unforgettable. The Maori All Blacks, a team composed of ethnic Maori players, perform a haka called the Timatanga, which, if possible, is even more intimidating than the Ka Mate/Kapa O Pango (I die! I die! I live! I live!) performed by the national New Zealand team.

At its most basic, the haka is nothing more than ritualized trash talk. But it has become sanctified within New Zealand culture as both a greeting and a promise of pain to come. The haka is performed immediately after the national anthems and before kickoff. It is respected by rugby players and highly anticipated by fans around the world.

Observing the haka before the Canada game, Cathal Kelly, a columnist for the Toronto Star, wrote: "As the All Blacks formed into an arrowhead pattern that typifies the Maori war dance, the buzz in the sellout crowd was unlike any I've ever felt here. Like they were all about to be told a great secret.

"While the Maoris danced, Canada swayed in place, arms linked. Seeing it live, you finally get the truth of it. The All Blacks don't beat you by performing the haka. You beat yourself in the anticipation of it."

Kelly described the Canadian fans during the haka as "mooning over a foreign power."

Philadelphia sports fans don't moon over foreign powers. At least not like that.

There was a buzz in the standing-room crowd of almost 20,000 at PPL Park when the All Blacks stepped into haka formation, but no sooner had they begun their war cry than a lone voice bellowed from the stands: "USA! USA!"

In seconds the entire stadium was roaring, "USA! USA! USA!" It was beyond electricity, beyond national pride. The louder the All Blacks shouted, the more aggressive their intimidating gestures, the more frenzied the PPL Park fan chant grew.

Awesome does not do the moment justice. It was epic. On TV, Fox sports commentator and former Eagles captain Brian Vizard said: "I can guarantee that there's never been a more electrifying start of a rugby game in the States in this century."

In an instant, this match turned into the Woodstock of American rugby. Years from now, every rugby fan will claim he or she was there when the U.S. Eagles played their hearts out backed by 20,000 wingmen and came this close to beating the legendary All Blacks.

The match was spectacular. You never saw such hitting. Not since Philadelphia Eagles safety Brian Dawkins left town, anyway. With three minutes to play, the Eagles were three points behind and pressuring. But, as great teams do, the All Blacks found a way and scored a converted try. The final score was 29-19.

At the news conference afterward, a reporter asked New Zealand captain Tim Bateman if he thought the "USA" crowd chant was disrespectful. "Not at all," he said. "We laid down our challenge and they answered."

All Blacks coach Colin Cooper praised his team: "When a group of men unite like that in front of what was an electric crowd, it was really special and a highlight for me personally." The Guardian described it as "a glorious defeat" by the "impressive USA Eagles" during "a brilliant occasion for USA rugby in Philadelphia."

Once again, another Philadelphia first: Birthplace of the haka back at'cha.