Scott Barrett says Joe Marler’s Haka comments ‘loaded the gun’

New Zealand captain Scott Barrett has warned England that Joe Marler is “loading his gun” with his provocative comments on the Haka.

Marler angered the All Blacks by taking to social media ahead of Saturday’s clash at Allianz Stadium to call for the pre-match Maori war dance to be “trashed”, adding that it was “ridiculous”.

The veteran player, who did not take part in the autumn opener due to personal reasons, later apologized for his remarks, but Barrett suggested the damage had already been done.

“He probably loaded the gun, right?” The latter was said after New Zealand’s final training session on Friday.

“I guess there are always opinions about the Haka and its place. This is very important to us and has been on the All Blacks’ agenda for a long time. We get a lot from it.

“That was a big part of the All Blacks. It’s bigger than rugby in a way. “You talk to people from America and the lesser known rugby countries and they know rugby in New Zealand for the Haka, so that’s huge for us and unites us.”

England are considering how to react when the Haka is performed in the first of four Tests at Twickenham this month.

“In those moments, you love whatever the team brings and whatever you face,” he said.

“If they walk forward it means they are ready for the first whistle. “We know we will have a good Test match if that happens.

“We don’t need any extra motivation going into Twickenham against a team that wants to beat us so bad, so we have to respect what’s coming.”

Only two Tests have been played between the rivals in London in the last decade, giving the scarcity of Saturday’s clash its value.

The All Blacks won the summer series 2-0 but the clashes in Dunedin and Auckland were tight, with the sides separated by just eight points in both matches.

“England haven’t played a Test match since they played us in July, so they’ll find that rock in their shoes that they’ve had for a while and they’ll be keen to shake it off with a good performance.” said Barrett.

“At first glance they always pose a threat; George Martin, Jamie George, Maro Itoje. They have a strong bond there.

“If they get the gain line and the fastball for Marcus Smith and the defenses they have, you can finally chase the game. So the important thing is to control the breakdown and get the ball well. “This will be an arm wrestle.”