Rugby, Nations Championship: “Breath of the Dragon”, the spectacular response of the Welsh to the New Zealand haka (video)

A spectacle as impressive as it is symbolic. During Wales' historic victory against New Zealand (35-28) this Saturday in the Nations Championship, the All Blacks were preparing to perform their traditional haka before kick-off, when the Principality Stadium plunged into darkness, leaving the New Zealand players alone under a beam of light.

Facing them, the Leek XV appeared in a striking atmosphere, bathed in a deep red light, while thick swirling smoke enveloped the players. Called “Dragon’s Breath”, this production imagined by the Welsh Federation offered a powerful visual response to the Maori ritual. A true symbolic standoff between two nations for which rugby is an integral part of their identity.

This sequence also echoed a historic episode in their rivalry. In 1905, during a previous confrontation in Cardiff, the Welsh public responded to the New Zealand haka by singing their national anthem “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”. More than a century later, Welsh fervor and pride are still there.

And the Welsh have not only responded on a symbolic level. A few minutes after this spectacular start, Steve Tandy's men achieved one of the greatest feats in their recent history by winning 35-28. This victory ends a series of 34 consecutive defeats against New Zealand, the last success of which dates back to 1953. A historic evening in Cardiff, where the Breath of the Dragon preceded a true sporting feat.