England have been warned by one of their own that drowning out the haka or trying to “de-power” it risks unleashing the All Black beast.
New Zealand boss Scott Robertson said this week he expects Steve Borthwick’s team to challenge the pre-match ritual on Saturday, as England have in various ways down the years.
At the 2019 World Cup in Yokohama they were fined £2,000 for straying well across the halfway line in a V-formation prior to their semi-final while captain Owen Farrell stood and smiled.
In 2024 they advanced towards their opponents as the crowd cranked up the volume with a full-throated rendition of Swing Low.
There was Richard Cockerill standing nose to nose opposite the late Norm Hewitt as the All Blacks hooker led the haka at Old Trafford in 1997, prompting skipper Martin Johnson to exclaim: “Cocker, what the f**k have you done?!”
Joe Marler comment
And, last year, Joe Marler sparking fury by labelling the traditional Maori custom ‘ridiculous’ and calling for it to be ‘binned’ on social media. He quickly backtracked.
England‘s approach in Japan and France’s 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.
But Tom Wood, player of the match when last England beat New Zealand at Twickenham in 2012, is not a fan of the practice.
“The idea of the crowd singing Swing Low over the top of the haka always frustrates me a little bit,” he said.
“If I’m honest, I don’t really like when teams try to come up with clever and unique ways of facing down the haka. I’d rather appreciate it.
“I understand why they do it,” the former England captain added. “That it’s theatre and pantomime, good for the occasion, good for the crowd and for the press, because it gives them something to get into.
“But for me personally, I would rather stand opposite it, pick out my opposite number, sort of eyeball him and accept the challenge.”
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Wood admits the aura of the All Black shirt and the haka is the reason he went to New Zealand in his formative rugby playing days.
He describes beating them in 2012 as “one of the standout moments of my career” but having come out on the wrong side of the result on every other occasion is wary of poking the dark-shirted bear.
“It’s not me trying to diminish it or disrespect it in any way, it’s me saying, ‘I accept it. You’re laying down the challenge, you’re doing your part. I’m here ready and waiting to do my bit.’
“Anything else, I think, is probably an attempt to de-power it.
“Lots of people have done things in the changing room, come out late, refuse to come out, slowed it down, done funky alignments to try and disorientate them. I think you’re playing into their hands a little bit.
Setting a challenge
“The more you do that, the more they just batten down the hatches and say, ‘It’s us against the world, it’s our culture and our thing and, in doing those things, they’re disrespecting.
“It just pulls them tighter together, really. Probably makes them double down on it even more.”
Robertson, whose side have already beaten Ireland and Scotland, added: “The haka’s setting a challenge and if someone does something different, respectfully, you welcome it.
“There are always rules of engagement around it, but they know what we’re going to do. If you haven’t planned or covered off what they’re going to do, it can be unexpected, and that’s part of it.”
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