Anticipation is mounting ahead of England’s gripping Test against New Zealand, with the mind games already stirring controversy. Harlequins’ own Joe Marler has ignited debate by calling into question the iconic Haka, dubbing it “ridiculous” and suggesting it “needs binning”, a comment that’s sure to fuel the fires of sporting rivalry.

Setting the stage for an explosive encounter, Steve Borthwick’s squad prepares to face the All Blacks at the Allianz Stadium, formerly known as Twickenham, on Saturday, November 2, heralding the first of the autumn internationals.

The timeliness of Marler’s remarks cannot be ignored, arriving on the back of the widely shared England vs Samoa rugby league confrontation, where the Siva Tau war dance, often mistaken for the Haka, became the pre-match spectacle. The viral clip featured England’s Mikey Lewis challenging Samoa’s Gordon Chan Kum Tong in an intense stand-off captured on camera.

Doubling down on the sentiments expressed in his original post on X, Marler stated: “It’s only any good when teams actually front it with some sort of reply. Like the league boys did last week.”

Current buzz suggests that Marler has removed his presence from X, as attempts to locate his profile result in a message stating the ‘account doesn’t exist’.

Amongst fan reactions, one notably pointed out the irony, tweeting: “An Englishman saying this is f****** hilarious; worry about winning some games first, aye?”

Reflecting on past triumphs, its noteworthy that Marler was part of the English ensemble that infamously confronted the haka during the precedent-setting 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final, a match that England clinched with a 19-7 victory.

A New Zealand rugby follower has fiercely criticised England’s Marler for an online misstep, remarking: “I quite liked Marler. He’s crossed the line in an embarrassing and disrespectful way. This isn’t about the sport, It’s about my country’s origin and the impact long before you popped up. You offended a nation. Ya wanted the fire? I imagine it will have been lit.”

Meanwhile, Dragons RFC winger Ashton Hewitt also weighed in on Twitter regarding Marler’s controversial post, commenting: “This is s******g on other cultures, not a ‘playful post’.”

As the ripples from the incident spread, England announced their 23-player roster on Tuesday evening, with Marler conspicuously absent from the line-up.