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The All Blacks‘ haka this week against England at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium was the most hotly anticipated in many years given everything that transpired in the build-up.
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Joe Marler’s comments, labelling the haka “ridiculous”, would have provided plenty of motivation for the visitors and they delivered quite a spectacle in London.
All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett said pre-match how the Englishman had “loaded the gun” with his comments.
“He has probably loaded the gun hasn’t he?” the BBC reported Barrett saying.
“I guess there are 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 stood up to the challenge by walking up to the halfway line – but no further – before the All Blacks advanced as well, as the stadium bellowed out ‘Swing Low’.
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The two sides were not exactly face-to-face come the end, but there were only a couple of metres by the time New Zealand completed Kapa o Pango.
Watch the haka here:
BIG RESPONSE! 🌹
England face up to the Haka! #AutumnNationsSeries | #ENGvNZL pic.twitter.com/pHV7VcXiSa
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 2, 2024
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