England fear Joe Marler’s comments about the Haka may have “stung the bear” as they prepare to face an All Blacks team fueled by furor over their traditional pre-match challenge.
While New Zealand hopes any response to their war dance from England tomorrow at Twickenham will be “respectful”, home captain Jamie George has expressed his support for the Haka, but also for the opposition’s right of reply. That was an opinion expressed by Marler on social media earlier this week, after the veteran Harlequins prop angered Kiwis by arguing the Haka should be “scrapped”.
Amid the intense pre-match tensions ahead of the Autumn Nations Series opener, George attempted to lighten the mood by saying: ‘Thank you Joe Marler! We chatted a little this week and I just said, “Cheers mate, thanks a lot!”
‘To be honest, it’s classic Joe. I guess it’s always been a little close to the line with certain social media posts. So, nothing surprises Joe. It’s not useless. It’s a conversation Joe and I had had the week before; thoughts about it, what we can do about it, all that kind of stuff. I guess he poked the bear a little.
George was effusive in his praise of the spectacle created by the familiar All Blacks ritual before kick-off, having faced it many times in his career. “I love it,” he said. “I love his story.”
Jamie George has played down Joe Marler’s call for the Haka to be dismissed as “classic Joe” and said the comment was “not unhelpful” but admitted it had “pushed the bear”.
Marler called the Haka “ridiculous” unless the opposition is allowed to respond.
Asked if England intend to respond in some way, as they (famously) did before the 2019 World Cup semi-final in Yokohama, by positioning themselves in an assertive arrowhead formation, the captain said: ” “We’ll talk about it.” ; Me and some of the veteran players. But yes, there may be something. The prostitute insisted that an appropriate response should be allowed, adding: “I think you should have the right to it, as long as it’s respectful.”
That was also the buzzword in the All Blacks camp, as head coach Scott Robertson reacted to Marler’s comments that lit the fuse for tomorrow’s match. “I know Joe,” he said. ‘I wonder if he would have liked to have expressed himself a little better about that.
‘The Haka for us is a custom, it is part of who we are, it is our DNA. It is for occasions, for joy, for connection and also for challenge, and we use it as a challenge. And we think it’s a great rugby tradition, as all the Pacific nations do before, just to honor its origin. “So it’s not just about the All Blacks, it’s about us as a country, so it means a lot to us.”
What if England decides to respond in some way? “Obviously it’s a matter of respect,” he added. ‘The crowd enjoys it. They know this is a special occasion. Some (South Africa) put a plane on top. Whatever the answer, it should be meaningful and respectful. Whatever they come up with, we’ll deal with it.
Robertson had no complaints about England’s display of defiance in the Far East, adding: “Oh, incredible.” There was a clear meaning behind it and it was done with respect. “It’s great, that’s what it’s all about.”
Scott Robertson believes Marler “could have expressed himself better” and spoke about how the Haka was part of the All Blacks’ “DNA”
His players don’t need comments posted on the wall to motivate them, he said.
While Test rugby is a highly professional, technical and scientific sporting activity these days, there is still room for some old school psychological tactics. Many countries look to what they perceive as snubs from the opposing camp or nation to help them reach the right emotional state for a big game.
Asked if New Zealand would do that this time, taking advantage of what Marler said to galvanize them, Robertson said: “I don’t have to hang it on the wall when it’s on social media!” The boys are aware of this. We don’t use it to say, “This is what we consider disrespectful,” especially since it’s probably happened before. But we will discuss it and decide how we will approach it respectfully.”