All the song and dance at Rugby World Cup: Boks brace for Tongan spin on the haka

By now, the Springboks have seen and heard enough All Black hakas to venture a line or two themselves if the mood strikes.

However, on Sunday, the defending Rugby World Cup champions will be treated to the Tongan variation on the dance of war in their Pool B encounter in Marseille.

Many rugby fans around the globe are familiar with the traditional dance performed by the countries of Oceania, the most familiar being New Zealand's haka, before each international game.

Traditionally performed to portray a Maori tribe's pride, strength and unity, it is, naturally, also used to challenge visiting tribes.

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These days, the haka commemorates special rugby occasions and is a show of respect to the opposing team, although many might beg to differ considering the facial contortions, menace and bloodthirsty, if not comical, er ... utterances required.

The Natives, the first New Zealand rugby team, performed the first rendition of the haka in 1888 on a tour of Britain and Australia. It was then known as Ka Mate.

Since 2005, the All Blacks have also used Kapo o Pango, which represents the multicultural composition of New Zealand and is seen to be a ceremonial cry rather than a war dance.

The haka is traditionally led by a player of Maori heritage, with All Black scrumhalf Aaron Smith doing the honours in the song and dance.

Tonga, Oceanic neighbours of New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa at this year’s Rugby World Cup, adopt the traditional form of dance as the Sipi Tau.

Akin to the All Blacks' haka, it is also a highly emotional war cry with no shortage of gravitas and vigour. After a tour of New Zealand in 1994, King Tama Tu'i Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was so inspired