New Zealand captain Scott Barrett has warned England that Joe Marler has “loaded the gun” through his inflammatory comments about the haka.
Marler has riled the All Blacks ahead of Saturday’s clash at Twickenham by using social media to call for the pre-match Maori war dance to be “binned”, adding that it was “ridiculous”.
The veteran prop, who is not involved in the autumn opener for personal reasons, has since apologised for the remarks, but Barrett suggests the damage has already been done.
“He has probably loaded the gun hasn’t he?” the second row said after New Zealand’s final training session on Friday.
“I guess there always opinions about the haka and its place. It’s hugely important to us and has been to the All Blacks for a long time. We get a lot from it.
“It’s been a huge part of the All Blacks. It’s bigger than rugby in a sense. You speak to people from America and lesser known rugby nations and they know rugby in New Zealand for the haka, so it is huge for us and unites us.”
England are considering what their response will be – if any – when the haka is performed in the first of four Tests at Twickenham this month.
“In those moments, whatever the team brings and you end up facing, you love it,” he said.
“If they walk forward it means they are up for the first whistle. If that happens, we know we are in for a good Test match.
“We don’t need any extra motivation heading to Twickenham against a team that would desperately love to beat us so we have got to respect what is coming.”
Scott Barrett. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
England captain Jamie George hoped Marler hadn’t “prodded the bear.”
“It was classic Joe,” George said. “Joe and I don’t always agree on everything and we disagree on this topic.”
There have been only two Tests between the rivals in London over the last decade, giving Saturday’s clash scarcity value.
The All Blacks won their summer series 2-0 but the collisions in Dunedin and Auckland were hard fought, with only eight points separating the sides across both games.
“England haven’t had a Test match since they played us in July so they’ll have that stone in their shoe that they’ve been carrying for a while and they’ll be keen to shake that off with a good performance,” Barrett said.
“Up-front they always pose a threat – George Martin, Jamie George, Maro Itoje. They’ve got a strong connection there.
“If they get gainline and fast ball for Marcus Smith and the backs they have, you can end up chasing the game. So it’s about controlling the breakdown and getting good ball. It’ll be an arm wrestle.”
This Test on Saturday didn’t need Marler’s help to hype. The most expensive tickets England have sold for a home test outside the Rugby World Cup — up to Stg 229 ($A450) — have been long gone for months.
England beat the All Blacks so infrequently — eight times in 45 matches — that it puts each match on a pedestal, and losing twice in New Zealand in July has made the hosts all that more desperate for a first home win since 2012.
Jamie George. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
But England will start cold on Saturday, not having played since that summer tour.
In the meantime, the All Blacks have played the Rugby Championship and failed to win it for the first time since 2019.
Problems with holding onto leads and scoring in the last quarter — they led world champion South Africa twice at halftime — weren’t addressed until the sixth and last match of the championship, a 33-13 win over Australia in Wellington five weeks ago.
Warhorse Beauden Barrett has been retained at flyhalf after starting there for the first time in nearly two years in Wellington. But Barrett is a temporary filler while the All Blacks wait for the fickle Damian McKenzie to settle in the role.
Barrett has been reunited with his younger brothers in the starting line-up. Centre Jordie has returned from a knee injury and captain and lock Scott was rested from the tour-opening romp in Japan last weekend.
The All Blacks have been rebuilding since the World Cup in France a year ago, as have England.
New talents such as George Furbank and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso have injected excitement into England’s attack beside the smarts of fly-half Marcus Smith and No. 8 Ben Earl.
Earl is also covering inside centre because of a 6-2 split on the bench prompted by coach Steve Borthwick’s desire for a stronger finish from his pack, a lesson from the New Zealand tour.
He is also trusting centre Henry Slade to rock up after only 55 minutes of action this season following shoulder surgery, and given Bath half-back Ben Spencer a first Test start.
© AAP