Scott Barrett during a team run at The Lensbury Resort, Teddington. Photo / Getty Images
Scott Barrett during a team run at The Lensbury Resort, Teddington. Photo / Getty Images
England skipper Jamie George has urged his team to play without fear at Twickenham as All Blacks captain Scott Barrett warned that Joe Marler’s attack on the haka had “loaded the gun”.
On Tuesday Marler suggested that the haka should be “binned” and claimed it was “ridiculous”, before deactivating his account on X, formerly Twitter – only to return and then issue an apology on Thursday.
Asked whether Marler’s comments would fire up the All Blacks ahead of the test (Sunday, 4.10am NZ time), Barrett replied:“He has probably loaded the gun, hasn’t he? I guess there are always opinions about the haka and its place. It is hugely important to us and has been to the All Blacks for a long time, we get a lot from it.”
In his remarks, Marler had stressed that teams should be able to respond to the haka by approaching it, similar to the scenes during England’s rugby league match with Samoa last weekend.
On whether teams should be able to approach the haka, Barrett replied: “In those moments, whatever the team brings and you face you love it, 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.”
The All Blacks perform the haka in 2002 at Twickenham. Photo / Photosport
Barrett’s comments followed on from England captain George calling on his side to dictate play against New Zealand while declaring his team ready to turn tight losses into memorable victories this autumn.
The team have had four months to stew on a 2-0 series defeat in New Zealand, but George said of giving fans something to cheer: “The emotional side is often something that I’m speaking to the boys about, telling them ‘don’t be afraid to show it. Don’t be afraid to show how much it means to play for England’.
“Sometimes there are natural reservations; you’re on TV and can’t give too much away. For me, that is an instant connection. As a fan, I wanted to see a reflection of myself in that England rugby team. Enjoyment and passion and pride is something I always relate to.”
Since defeating Ireland in the Six Nations, England have lost three of their next four. Despite eye-catching passages, they have gone down to narrow losses against France and New Zealand, twice. To edge out the latter this weekend, George knows that minor details will matter.
“What we have become very aware of is ‘what wins’,” he said. “Over the last 18 months, there has been an evolution of the team, and we’re in a better space and playing better rugby. The big players are stepping up.
England captain Jamie George at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Photosport
“What we’ve become aware of are snippets of what wins test matches, and what loses test matches. The little intricate things have a big impact on the outcomes of games when the best are playing the best. The All Blacks at Allianz Stadium is the best against the best.”
George admitted that Steve Borthwick’s charges allowed their hosts to seize the initiative in the late stages. England did not score a single point in the final half hour of either test, which allowed Scott Robertson to begin his tenure as All Blacks head coach with two close victories.
“There’s intricate stuff we needed to get right,” George explained of the major lessons in July. “Fundamentally, the big takeaway was we probably fell into the momentum of the game and allowed ourselves to be dictated to by the All Blacks, they controlled the last 20 minutes of both tests, actually.
“We probably just went with the motion rather than continuing to play big and put our game on the field and attack them. Because if you sit back against any team, especially the quality of the All Blacks, you are always going to struggle. I think that was clear.
“It’s been addressed and a huge learning curve for a young and exciting team. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
On Friday, George also posted a birthday message to his late mother, Jane, who died in February of this year after being diagnosed with cancer. “Know you’ll be watching tomorrow,” it read.
