The haka war was a draw.
Munster's New Zealand rugby contingent famously pre-empted the All Blacks pre-match ritual with a stirring rendition today, adding more emotion to a match held 30 years after Munster beat New Zealand 12-0.
Rua Tipoki, Doug Howlett, Lifeimi Mafi and Jeremy Manning took centre stage before a capacity crowd of 26,000 at Thomond Park Stadium, performing a haka as the All Blacks stood respectfully over halfway.
Once the quartet had completed their challenge - to rapturous applause - a hush descended over the ground as the All Blacks, led by captain Piri Weepu, replied with a flawless performance of Ka Mate.
There had been suggestion last week that Munster's ex-pats would respond to the haka.
Instead, they got in first when Tipoki, a former New Zealand Maori captain, motioned the New Zealanders forward from their teammates.
Howlett, who played 62 tests for the All Blacks before joining Munster last season, and Mafi, a former Taranaki midfielder, joined Tipoki while the least known New Zealander, Manning, who played in Wellington before relocating to Cork, was at the right end of the chain.
The New Zealand quartet's challenge represented the most stirring pre-match interlude involving the haka since Willie Anderson famously shuffled his side towards the All Blacks in Dublin in 1989, with the Irish captain ending up eyeballing his counterpart Wayne Shelford.
