Joe Marler has stoked the fire ahead of England’s clash with the All Blacks at Twickenham by calling for New Zealand to scrap the haka, describing the pre-game ritual as “ridiculous.”
Marler took to social media, writing: “The haka needs binning. It’s ridiculous,” before adding, “It’s only any good when teams actually front it with some sort of reply. Like the league boys did last week.” He was referring to the intense face-off between England’s rugby league team and Samoa’s Siva Tau, which saw players go nose-to-nose in Wigan last weekend.
Although the outspoken prop won’t be involved in Sunday’s showdown due to a foot injury, his comments are certain to add fuel to the fire between the two rugby powerhouses.
The 34-year-old broke his foot during the first Test against the All Blacks earlier this year and hasn’t featured since. In his absence, Ellis Genge will start at loosehead, with Harlequins teammate Fin Baxter covering from the bench.
Marler is no stranger to haka controversy. In the lead-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final, he infamously crossed the halfway line during the All Blacks’ haka, prompting referee Nigel Owens to pull him back. England went on to cop a £2,000 fine for breaching tournament rules around cultural protocols.
Marler later explained that England had accidentally lined up in a ‘V’ formation, misunderstanding how they were meant to respond to the challenge.
Photo: Dave Rowland/Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
