ON THE ATT HAKA
Defiant Cockerill demands players stand their ground
RICHARD COCKERILL has warned the All Blacks that England will answer the haka challenge in whichever way they see fit.
Cockerill, Eddie Jones’ assistant coach, stood up to New Zealand’s prematch ritual in 1997, famously squaring up to opposite number Norm Hewitt, and insists he has not had a moment of regret.
He has encouraged tomorrow’s sellout Twickenham crowd to drown out the haka with their cheers, while reminding England players that for all the pre-match theatre, it is what comes next that really matters.
“We’ll respect the haka how we want to respect it,” said Cockerill. “It’s a psychological advantage for them and we will deal with it how we feel the right way is to deal with it.
“When I’ve faced the haka, it’s been more of a motivator than a demotivator, it doesn’t make me scared, it makes me more motivated. You have to use that.”
England have not toppled New Zealand at Twickenham since 2012 but beat them to a place in the 2019 World Cup final after confronting the haka with a V-shape formation.
It earned them a £2,000 fine and reprimand from World Rugby but that was considered money well spent as it set the defiant tone which launched England to one of their greatest wins.
Cockerill believes the haka has become a bit “sterile” and hopes an 82,000 sell-out crowd will meet it with a rousing version of ‘Swing Low.’
“It’s a home game and we want a partisan crowd who are on our side,” he said. “If they can drown out the noise of them doing it, then let’s bring it on. We respect their team and their culture. Conversely they have to respect what other teams do against it.”
The All Blacks are odds-on favourites despite having lost four games already this year, including two in a home series defeat to Ireland.
But the look in the England camp is one of steely-eyed determination, which goes well beyond answering the Maori war dance.
Cockerill added: “We can all stand up to the haka. We can’t all do what happens next for the next 80 minutes.
“We have to front up physically but also our skill levels have to be high and we have to really take the game to them. If we do that, we can win. If we don’t, we will make it an arm wrestle.”
Kyle Sinckler (inset) has warned his England team-mates that nobody will remember them if they get the haka right and the match wrong.
Sinckler said: “It’s all good doing this and that to the haka but what matters is the business on the field.”