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National | Māori All Blacks

No holds barred for NZ Barbarians heading into Māori All Blacks clash

The New Zealand Barbarians have much to prove when they face the Māori All Blacks, and the Barbarians' Māori players in the squad say they won't be holding back.

Toiroa Tahuriorangi says the NZ Barbarians will change their style of play to suit the Māori All Blacks tough match against Fiji last week.

He says he will return the challenge and perform his own haka, “The boys are going to do the haka back to them, so just expect it aye.”

Brad Shields has never shied away from the performing the haka.  “I have never been in a team that has faced the haka before.  I'm always performing it and it will be interesting and something different for us.”

Last year, Ihaia West was playing for the Māori All Blacks, this weekend he will face his former side.

West says, “With Māori rugby, it's sort of off-the-cuff sort of stuff, so you don't really know what they will throw at you.”

If there is any player in the side familiar with the Māori All Blacks' game plan, it will be West.  “Obviously been there the last couple of years I know the type of structures they run,” says West.

While Tahuriorangi can't wait to go head-to-head against good friends Otere Black and Shaun Wainui.

He says, “I told them, boys watch out, we are coming, the Babas are coming.”

The New Zealand Barbarian starting line-up will be named tomorrow.