England are concerned Joe Marler’s comments about the haka may have ‘provoked the bear’ as they prepare to face an All Blacks team furious over their traditional pre-match challenge.
New Zealand are hoping any response to England’s war ball at Twickenham tomorrow will be ‘polite’, but home captain Jamie George has not only expressed support for the haka, but also the opposition’s right of reply. These were the views expressed by Marler on social media earlier this week after the veteran Harlequins supporter angered New Zealanders by claiming Haka should be ‘binning’.
With pre-match tensions running high ahead of the start of the Autumn Nations Series, George tried to lighten the mood by saying ‘Thank you Joe Marler!’ This week we had a little conversation and I just said, “Thank you so much, mate!”
‘To be honest, he’s a typical Joe. He always seems to be a bit over the top with certain social media posts. So there are no surprises for Joe. It doesn’t help. This is a conversation Joe and I actually had a week ago. Thinking about it, what we can do, all that kind of stuff. I think he provoked the bear a bit.’
George passionately praised the spectacle created by the All Blacks’ familiar pre-kick-off ritual, one he has faced many times in his career. ‘I like it,’ he said. ‘I like the history.’
Jamie George has dismissed Joe Marler’s calls for Haka to be labeled ‘classic Joe’, calling the comments ‘unhelpful’ but admitting they ‘provoked the bear’.
Mahler labeled the haka a ‘foolish thing’ unless the opposition had an answer.
Asked whether England would be willing to stand in an aggressive arrowhead formation and respond in any way, as they did before the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup in Yokohama, the skipper said: ‘We’ll talk about it. ; Me and some senior players. But, yeah, there might be something to it.’ The prostitute was adamant that an appropriate response should be allowed, adding: ‘I think you deserve it too, as long as you respect it.’
It was also a buzzword in the All Blacks camp as manager Scott Robertson reacted to Mahler’s comments, which lit the fuse for tomorrow’s encounter. ‘I know Joe,’ he said. ‘I wonder if he could have explained it better.
‘For us, the haka is a custom, a part of us, it’s our DNA. It’s for opportunity, it’s for joy, it’s for connection, it’s for challenge, and we use it as a challenge. And we believe that is a great tradition in rugby. Just to celebrate where they come from, as all Pacific nations have done before. So it means a lot to us because it’s not just about the All Blacks, it’s about us as a country.’
What if the UK 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 case. Some (South Africans) have planes on top. Any response should be meaningful and respectful. Whatever they do, we will fight.’
Robertson expressed no complaints about Britain’s display of defiance in the Far East, adding: ‘Oh, that’s great. There was a clear meaning behind it, and it was done respectfully. It’s really amazing. That’s what we’re 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 on the wall to motivate them, he said.
Test rugby these days is a highly professional, technical and scientific sporting activity, but there is still room for old-fashioned psychological tactics. Many countries search for perceived slights from rival camps or countries to achieve the right emotional state for a big game.
Asked whether New Zealand would capitalize on Marler’s words this time around to activate them, Robertson said: ‘No need to pin it to your wall when you post it on social media! The boys know it. We do not use this word to say, “We think this is rude.” Especially since it’s likely happened before. But we’ll discuss it and decide how to handle it respectfully.’
