From Owen Farrell’s smirk to Joe Marler’s ‘mistake’… how Henry Pollock’s Haka defiance measures up to the greats as England storm to first home win over NZ in 13 years

England’s newest hero Henry Pollock divided fans by wearing a defiant expression and licking his lips as the All Blacks performed the famous Haka.

Steve Borthwick’s England immediately came to the fore as New Zealand embarked on their iconic pre-match ritual ahead of the Twickenham clash in which England secured a historic win.

England formed a semicircle around the halfway line and Pollock, who showed a fierce movement and at the same time had a smile on his face, began to make fun of his opponents by licking his lips.

Pollock isn’t the only one making headlines with his response to the iconic pre-match ritual. Some of the biggest names in rugby have previously found themselves in hot water with their response to the Haka.

Although many teams lined up and observed this respectfully, there were examples of teams trying to gain a psychological advantage, especially in the 2019 World Cup semi-final.

Under World Rugby rules, players taking part in the challenge were banned from crossing the midfield line, but in this case England breached those rules and instead advanced towards the All Blacks in a V formation.

The All Blacks half featured six players (Joe Marler, Billy Vunipola, Mark Wilson, Elliot Daly, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ben Youngs).

Marler was the closest to the Kiwis when looking at Haka; Owen Farrell was caught on camera grinning at the New Zealand haka before the semi-final.

England responded to New Zealand’s Haka with a V formation on Saturday in 2019. Referee Nigel Owens told England to stand down and they were later fined £2,000 for breaching tournament rules ‘related to cultural difficulties’.

Players participating in the challenge were banned from crossing the midfield line, but Marler left well behind the line as he performed the Haka

Owen Farrell caught on camera smiling at New Zealand haka ahead of semi-final

Referee Nigel Owens told England to stand down and they were later fined £2,000 for breaching tournament rules ‘related to cultural difficulties’, although they won the match 19-7.

And the Kiwi had no complaints. In fact, then-head coach Steve Hansen later said: ‘The haka is a challenge and requires a response. ‘I thought it was great.’

In the 1991 Rugby World Cup semi-final, Australian legend David Campese completely ignored the pre-match Haka.

Instead of facing the All Blacks, Campese stayed near the try line and practiced his kicking and ball handling.

Wales have also responded in the past, most notably in a test match in Cardiff in 2008 when there was a famously long pause following the Haka, with the home team refusing to back down until the Kiwis did.

Similarly memorable was when France linked arms and walked towards the All Blacks at Eden Park ahead of the 2011 World Cup final.

There was also significant controversy ahead of England’s match against New Zealand last November.

Joe Marler, who was still playing football at the time, made headlines by labeling the Haka as ‘ridiculous’ and calling for it to be ‘thrown in the trash’.

Marler’s original post said: ‘Haka needs a ride. ‘This is ridiculous.’

Joe Marler caused controversy last year when he said the ‘ridiculous’ Haka should be ‘trashed’.

This infuriated the public and some politicians in New Zealand; Marler was criticized for his ‘lack of appreciation for tradition’, while another accused him of having a low IQ.

Marler later deleted the

At the time, he posted on X: ‘Hey rugby fans’.

‘Just wanted to jump in here and apologize to the New Zealand fans I upset with my poorly worded tweet earlier in the week.

I wasn’t being malicious in calling for the ‘Haka’ to be scrapped, I just want to see restrictions removed to allow responses without sanctions.

‘How good was the response to Cockerill/Hewitt, Campese, France ’07, Tokyo ’19 or Samoa – England rugby league? Create some fun drama before you start.

‘My arrogant attempt to spark a debate on this topic was complete nonsense and I should have done better at explaining things.

I am grateful for the education I received on how important the ‘Haka’ is to New Zealand culture and hope others will understand better.

‘Now roll in at 3pm on Saturday for a mega rugby event. England (win) by 6 points. Now I’m going to go back to my attention grabbing box. Big Love x.’

The All Blacks took part in an iconic ceremony at Twickenham on Saturday as England looked to face them.

England secured their 10th consecutive victory by winning Saturday’s match 33-19 after an impressive display.

The last time England beat New Zealand at Twickenham was 13 years ago.

England fans at Twickenham were also heard singing before the match. Rock Low, Sweet Car While trying to drown out the noise from the Haka.

And some fans on social media appreciated Pollock’s bravery, with one sharing: ‘Henry Pollock showed his best “put the camera on me” face during the haka.’

“Look at Henry Pollock’s face in the Haka,” another said, before adding a laughing emoji.

Another fan added: ‘Henry Pollock vs Haka. Designed for the big stage.”

Before another user joked: ‘Swing Low Sweet Car During Haka. Henry Pollock’s head is turned towards the All Blacks.

‘Two teams face off just a few meters apart. How good. How beautiful!’

Pollock’s actions divided opinion on social media as fans flocked to comment on Saturday

But others were less than impressed and immediately attacked the 20-year-old.

One said: ‘I hope the @AllBlacks absolutely crush this arrogant bunch from @EnglandRugby led by Henry Pollock!’

Another angry user said: ‘I hate attacking a child but Henry Pollock is really getting in my head.’

Another person later said: ‘Henry Pollock is licking his lips. “I understand why people hate this kid,” said one fan, adding: “Henry Pollock.” What***. ‘What was that during the haka?’

But others continued to defend the 20-year-old, with one adding: ‘Rugby fans: we really need to appeal to the younger generation and need players with personality. And rugby fans: ‘It’s not like that, Henry Pollock is too overrated and arrogant.’