To begin the Autumn Nations Series, the All Blacks go to Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. The Autumn Nations Series begins with a high-profile match between England and New Zealand at Twickenham’s newly renamed Allianz Stadium.
Steve Borthwick’s team will be looking for retribution against an All Blacks team that is still getting used to life under head coach Scott Robertson after losing both Test matches by a slim margin during their July visit.
This week, England prop Joe Marler’s awkward remarks on social media that the customary pre-match haka required “binning” gave a legendary rivalry an additional boost. Following harsh criticism, Marler has subsequently issued an apology for leaving camp on Monday for unrelated personal reasons.
The build-up to a pivotal match for both teams has been dominated by the haka discussion. Although England has made great progress this season, they have recently seen coaching changes, and Borthwick has highlighted the need of finishing games decisively after losing three of their previous four games by narrow margins.
The visitors will want to re-establish themselves as one of the best teams in the world in the coming weeks after being disappointed by South Africa’s performance in the Rugby Championship, which further demonstrated how the balance of rugby power may be shifting.
I had a conversation with the ever-thought-out and captivating England lock in Girona last week on leadership, the possibility of a third Lions tour, and his possible political aspirations. Despite a number of teething issues under Scott “Razor” Robertson, New Zelanad’s 2-0 series victory over their opponents today marks the high point of their season thus far.
New Zealand, the top team in men’s rugby for a long time, is starting their Autumn Nations Series against England and is in a unique rebuilding phase.
The build-up to a crucial autumnal first Test has been somewhat overshadowed by all of that. Due to the departure of both defensive coach Felix Jones (who was given a 12-month notice) and strength and conditioning expert Aled Walters (who joined Andy Farrell’s Ireland), Steve Borthwick’s last two months have not gone as smoothly as he would have wanted.
The head coach was devastated by the loss of two members of his staff, but a stable team has every possibility of winning in November, which might bring many surprises.
Marler later expressed regret to All Blacks supporters for his remarks on Thursday night, but he still feels that the opposition need to be free to respond to the haka. Scott Robertson, head coach of the All Blacks, stated that the Harlequins forward should have been more selective in what he said.
Jamie George, the captain of England, disagreed with his long-time front row colleague’s assessment and implied that Joe Marler could have poked the bear. News for The Daily Rugby
The All Blacks retaliated on Thursday, with head coach Scott Robertson outlining the significance of the customary Maori pre-match challenge for New Zealand.
Before the two teams play at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, the England prop said that the customary Maori pre-match challenge “needs binning.”
Let’s go over the events of the haka tale this week. Joe Marler departed the England camp on Monday for personal reasons, but the prop fanned the flames on social media Tuesday night with a very awkward remark:
Since then, the England prop has deactivated his X account and will not be playing this weekend due to his ongoing injury recovery.