England have been warned by one of their own that drowning out the haka or trying to \u201cde-power\u201d it risks unleashing the All Black beast.<\/p>\n
New Zealand boss Scott Robertson said this week he expects Steve Borthwick\u2019s team to challenge the pre-match ritual on Saturday, as England have in various ways down the years.<\/p>\n
At the 2019 World Cup in Yokohama they were fined \u00a32,000 for straying well across the halfway line in a V-formation prior to their semi-final while captain Owen Farrell stood and smiled.<\/p>\n
In 2024 they advanced towards their opponents as the crowd cranked up the volume with a full-throated rendition of Swing Low.<\/p>\n
There was Richard Cockerill standing nose to nose opposite the late Norm Hewitt as the All Blacks<\/a> hooker led the haka at Old Trafford in 1997, prompting skipper Martin Johnson to exclaim: \u201cCocker, what the f**k have you done?!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe Marler comment<\/p>\n And, last year, Joe Marler sparking fury by labelling the traditional Maori custom \u2018ridiculous\u2019 and calling for it to be \u2018binned\u2019 on social media. He quickly backtracked.<\/p>\n England<\/a>\u2018s approach in Japan and France\u2019s advance, in inverted V-formation, prior to the 2011 World Cup final in Auckland, are examples of the opposition gaining energy from their uninvited involvement.<\/p>\n But Tom Wood, player of the match when last England beat New Zealand at Twickenham in 2012, is not a fan of the practice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea of the crowd singing Swing Low over the top of the haka always frustrates me a little bit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m honest, I don\u2019t really like when teams try to come up with clever and unique ways of facing down the haka. I\u2019d rather appreciate it.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand why they do it,\u201d the former England captain added. \u201cThat it\u2019s theatre and pantomime, good for the occasion, good for the crowd and for the press, because it gives them something to get into.<\/p>\n \u201cBut for me personally, I would rather stand opposite it, pick out my opposite number, sort of eyeball him and accept the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u2018standout\u2019 day \u2018the blood drained out of the faces\u2019 of All Blacks greats Richie McCaw and Kieran Read and why \u2018this is England\u2019s time\u2019 again<\/a><\/p>\n