Joe Marler has ‘prodded the bear’ after he said the Haka should be ‘binned’, England captain Jamie George says as New Zealand boss reveals how his stars took the controversial comment

England fear Joe Marler’s comments about the Haka have ‘spurred the bear’ as they prepare to face an All Blacks side fired up by the furore over their traditional pre-match challenge.

While New Zealand hope any reaction to their England war dance at Twickenham tomorrow will be ‘respectful’, home captain Jamie George has voiced his support for the Haka, but also for the opposition’s right of reply. That was a view expressed by Marler on social media earlier this week after the veteran Harlequins prop outraged Kiwis by claiming the Haka should be ‘thrown away’.

Amid heightened tensions ahead of the opening of the Autumn Nations Series, George attempted to lighten the mood by saying, “Thanks Joe Marler! We chatted a bit this week and I just said, “Cheers mate, thanks so much!”.

“To be honest, it’s classic Joe. I think he’s always been a little close to the line with certain social media posts. So nothing comes as a surprise with Joe. It’s not useless. It’s a conversation Joe and I had the week before; thoughts about it, what can we do about it, all that kind of stuff. I think he egged the bear on a little bit.”

George was effusive in his praise for the spectacle created by the All Blacks’ famous pre-kick-off ritual, having encountered it many times in his career. “I love it,” he said. “I love the history of it.”

Marler labeled the Haka as ‘ridiculous’ unless the opposition is allowed to respond to it

Asked whether England plan to respond in some way, as they (famously) did before the 2019 World Cup semi-final in Yokohama, by standing in an assertive arrowhead formation, the skipper said: ‘We will let’s talk about it. ; myself and some senior players. But hey, maybe there’s something there.’ The whore was adamant that an appropriate response should be allowed, adding, “I think you should be entitled to that, as long as it’s respectful.”

That was also the buzzword from the All Blacks camp, as head coach Scott Robertson responded to Marler’s comments that lit the fuse for tomorrow’s encounter. “I know Joe,” he said. ‘I wonder if he wishes he could have expressed himself a little better about that.

‘The Haka is a habit for us, 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 believe it’s a great rugby tradition, as all Pacific countries do beforehand, just to honor where they come from. So it’s not just about the All Blacks, it’s about us as a country, so it means a lot to us.”

What about if England chooses to respond in any way? “It’s clearly a matter of respect,” he added. ‘The audience enjoys it. They know this is a special occasion. Some (South Africa) put a plane over it. Whatever the response, it must be meaningful and respectful. Whatever they come up with, we will face it.”

Robertson had no complaints about England’s resistance in the Far East, adding: ‘Oh, great. There was a clear meaning behind it and it was done respectfully. It’s great, that’s what we’re all about.’

Scott Robertson thinks Marler ‘could have expressed himself better’ and talked about how the Haka was part of the All Blacks’ ‘DNA’

His players don’t need the writing on the wall to motivate them, he said

Although Test rugby is a highly professional, technical and scientific sporting activity these days, there is still room for some old-fashioned psych-up tactics. Many countries look for perceived slights from the rival camp or nation to help them achieve the right emotional state for a big game.

Asked if New Zealand will do that this time, using what Marler said to encourage them, Robertson said: “I don’t need to pin it to the wall if it’s on social media! The boys are aware of it. We don’t use it to say, “This is what we consider disrespectful,” especially because it’s probably happened before. But we discuss it and decide how to deal with it respectfully.’