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England captain Jamie George fears Joe Marler has provoked New Zealand by calling for the Haka to be scrapped ahead of Saturday’s clash at Allianz Stadium.
George believes Marler has “prodded the bear” after writing on the social media site X on Tuesday night that “The Haka needs binning. It’s ridiculous.”
Marler will not face the All Blacks in the autumn opener after leaving camp on Monday morning for personal reasons and it is doubtful if he will play a part in any of the remaining fixtures against Australia, South Africa and Japan.
In an unexpected twist, it has emerged that the 34-year-old prop had still made himself available against New Zealand in the event that either starting loosehead Ellis Genge or replacement Fin Baxter were ruled out.
England had initially agreed for him to be on standby only to then put Trevor Davison on notice that he will act as emergency cover in the unlikely event Genge or Baxter become unavailable.
Marler’s comments on the Maori war dance drew a furious backlash in New Zealand, while All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson on Thursday reacted by calling it a “great tradition of rugby”, adding that the Harlequin should have chosen his words more carefully.
George does not share the view of his controversial front-row colleague, who he suspects has provided the 2023 World Cup runners-up with extra motivation.
“The Haka was always something I enjoyed watching growing up as a big rugby fan and I’ve been lucky enough to face it a few times. I love the history of it,” George said.
“Joe and I, we don’t always agree on everything, so we disagree on this certain topic. It’s classic Joe if I’m honest.
“He’s always been a little bit close to the line with certain social media posts so nothing comes as a surprise with him. We’ve chatted a little bit this week and I just said, ‘cheers mate, thanks very much!’.
“It’s a conversation that Joe and I actually had the week before – thoughts on the Haka, what can we do back to it, all that kind of thing. I guess he’s prodded the bear a little bit.”
England are planning a possible response to the All Blacks’ famous pre-match ritual as they seek their first win in the fixture at Twickenham since 2012.
Eddie Jones’ England took on the Haka before their stunning 2019 World Cup semi-final victory by adopting a V-shape formation. Robertson described it as an “awesome” way to face down the war dance.
“We’ll have a little chat about it, myself and some of the senior players. But yes, there might be something,” George said.
“What I love about the Haka at Twickenham is that you hear the noise and the theatre that comes with it.
“It’s not just about our reaction. It’s the fans’ reaction – the cheering and the chanting that goes on with it. That’s the stuff that makes rugby special.
“What I know is you can do what you like to the Haka but fundamentally it’s going to come down to how you front up physically against the All Blacks and that’s what we’ve got to focus on.”
Assistant coach Kevin Sinfield insists that Marler is “doing OK” and expects a clearer picture over his availability for the rest of the Autumn Nations Series to emerge over the weekend.
Marler has talked at length of his mental health issues and has missed England camps because of his depression.
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