How will England respond to New Zealand's haka at Allianz Stadium in Quilter Nations Series clash? What are the best responses in history?

England face New Zealand in the Quilter Nations Series at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, November 15, live on TNT Sports and discovery+. The All Blacks will perform their traditional haka before the contest - but how will England respond? And how have other teams responded in the past? England have previously formed a V shape while other teams have stepped forward towards the haka.

The haka is one of the great traditions in sport.

The traditional Maori ceremonial dance is performed before matches by New Zealand to challenge opponents and to prepare the team for the contest ahead.

"It is part of who we are, it's our DNA," said All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson about the haka last year.

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"It is not just about the All Blacks, it is about us as a country. It means a lot to us."

So far this autumn, New Zealand have performed the haka in Chicago against Ireland, and at Murrayfield against Scotland.

This Saturday, November 15, the All Blacks will do the haka at Allianz Stadium as they face England in the Quilter Nations Series, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

What response can they expect from Steve Borthwick’s side?

Marler's jibe and Farrell’s smirk

England have had some memorable retorts to the haka in recent years.

Former England prop Joe Marler stirred up controversy ahead of facing New Zealand a year ago when he called the haka "ridiculous" and said it should be "binned".

"I wonder if he wished he could have articulated himself a little bit better on that," was the measured reply from New Zealand head coach Robertson.

On game day, England responded to the haka by moving towards the All Blacks and standing on the halfway line, drawing a raucous cheer from the Allianz Stadium crowd.

By the time the haka finished, the teams were separated by just a few metres.

‘Theatre, emotion’ – Watch as England face up to highly anticipated Haka

Video credit: TNT Sports

"As ever, in terms of a response to the haka, we always wanted to do it in a very respectful way," said captain Jamie George.

Five years earlier, at the 2019 World Cup, England had an even more stirring response to the haka.

As New Zealand got into position, England responded by forming a V shape, with several players, including Marler standing over the halfway line.

Undoubtedly the most memorable image of the occasion is of a smirking Owen Farrell.

England went on to beat New Zealand and reach the final, with Mako Vunipola saying afterwards on the haka response: "We knew it would rile them up".

England were fined as World Rugby rules state players are not permitted over the halfway line in response to challenges such as the haka.

"Where only one team is performing a challenge, no player from the team performing the challenge may cross their own 10m line and no player from the team receiving the challenge may cross the halfway line," say the rules.

"It is not mandatory for the team receiving the challenge to face it."

In New Zealand's most recent game, Scotland's players lined up on the 10m line to face the haka.

England have not stated how they intend to respond to the haka when the two sides meet on Saturday - but it will be fascinating to find out, and may set the tone for the game.

How have other teams responded to the haka?

There have been a number of memorable - and inventive - challenges to the haka.

Ahead of the 2011 World Cup final, France formed a V shape and then moved forward towards the All Blacks during the dance.

"At one stage we were so close to them that they wanted to kiss the New Zealanders, but I told them to take it easy," France’s Thierry Dusautoir said after the game.

"It was a great moment and a moment we will remember all our lives."

France got even more in the faces of the All Blacks ahead of their 2007 World Cup quarter-final, with Sebastien Chabal among several players involved in intense staredowns afterwards.

The Lions committed an apparent cultural faux pas in 2005 when captain Brian O’Driscoll responded to the haka by throwing a blade of grass in the air.

Head coach Sir Clive Woodward later said they had been advised to do this by a Maori elder - but it was suggested that O’Driscoll should have held the grass and not tossed it away.

Soon after the match started, O’Driscoll was spear-tackled off the ball and dislocated his shoulder.

In 2006, the All Blacks performed the haka inside their dressing room at the Principality Stadium instead of on the pitch.

The decision was made in response to Wales’ plan to respond to the haka with their own national anthem.

The All Blacks perform the haka in the dressing room ahead of facing Wales in 2006

Image credit: Getty Images

Australia’s David Campese decided not to face the haka during the 1991 World Cup and instead went off on his own to perform kicking practice.

The move seemed to work out for Campese as he scored one try and set up another in a 16-6 win for Australia.

"I’m often asked why I warmed up on my own while New Zealand performed the haka before the semi," Campese later said.

"I wasn’t disrespecting it. I actually believe in the haka; I think it’s fantastic and I’ve come up against it 29 times, but ahead of the game the coach said that whatever we did was up to us.

"I was quite happy, then, to go and kick the ball; that was how I did it, and it worked."

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