Worldwide Sports News

• Prop says ‘sorry to any New Zealand fans I upset’
• Marler says he wants England to respond on pitch

Joe Marler has issued an apology for his “shithouse” criticism of the haka that has whipped up a storm before England face New Zealand on Saturday. After the England captain, Jamie George, admitted that Marler had poked the bear with his criticism of the All Blacks’ traditional war dance, the loosehead prop took to social media again to row back on his earlier comments.

In the latest instalment of a saga that has dominated the buildup to the first autumn international, Marler’s apology comes after George had said that he disagreed with his teammate that the haka should be scrapped. George did, however, say that England were considering a response to the haka at Twickenham while the All Blacks head coach, Scott Robertson, said that Marler “could have articulated himself a little bit better”.

New Zealand are unlikely to lack motivation with squad feeling disrespected and England can expect a backlash

There are all sorts of ways a team might get ready for a big match against the All Blacks. Fair to say that the tactic of actively going out of your way to pissing them off, which is the one England seem to have gone for this week, comes in a way down the list. Joe Marler’s original tweet that the haka is “ridiculous” and “needs binning” has gone down like cold sick with New Zealanders.

“I’m wondering if he wishes he could have articulated himself a little bit better,” said their head coach, Scott Robertson, on Thursday. “The haka is not just about the All Blacks, it is about New Zealand as a country, it means a lot to us.”

New Zealand forward on handling the emotion of losing a sibling at a young age and Jonah Lomu’s career impact

For years the names barely changed. Between them Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick played 262 Tests for New Zealand, breaking the record for the most capped second-row pairing in international rugby. By the end they made Stonehenge feel like a temporary art installation and their departures removed the twin pillars upon which the best modern All Black sides were built.

So no pressure on those following in their giant footsteps. Scott Barrett at least hails from one of rugby’s most famous family dynasties but perhaps the most intriguing member of New Zealand’s recent starting packs is the less celebrated Tupou Vaa’i. Tucked away behind the vowels is a man with a deeply moving backstory and an inner drive to match anyone on the field at Twickenham this weekend.