England vs New Zealand: Scott Barrett says Joe Marler’s haka criticism has ‘loaded the gun’

New Zealand captain Scott Barrett says England prop Joe Marler has “loaded the gun” after his controversial call for the All Blacks haka to be scrapped.

Marler, 34, has since apologised for calling the iconic pre-match ritual “ridiculous” and saying it should be “binned” in a post on X on Tuesday.

The Harlequins veteran will miss England’s autumn opener at Allianz Stadium on Saturday for personal reasons, but All Blacks second row Barrett said the damage had been done.

“He has probably loaded the gun hasn’t he?” he admitted on Friday in response to the row.

“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 are planning a respectful response to the haka in Saturday’s encounter, but Barrett said his side “do not need any extra motivation”.

“In those moments, whatever the team brings and you end up facing, you love it,” added the 30-year-old.

“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.”

England prop Ellis Genge, meanwhile, said he “loves” the haka, which still has its place in Test rugby.

“I’m on board with it, I love the haka,” said the 29-year-old.

“We’ll chat about it later on, we’ve got a meeting and we’ll see what the craic is.

“We’re not going to start climbing on each other’s shoulders, but we’ll sit there respectfully and watch it.

“I’ve only faced it once [in 2022]. It’s massive in the history of the game. Most people who aren’t necessarily too interested in rugby still know what the haka is.

“I know some people are divided on it but I quite like it. It’s bit of a challenge. I’m a big fan of it and I don’t think we should get rid of it.

“You should be able to respond, but everyone is respectful when they do that.”