Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Gerard Meagher

Jamie George admits he was brains behind England’s provocative response to haka

Jamie George Henry Pollock England Maro Itoje the All Blacks World Cup Borthwick Allianz
The England team face the All Blacks as they perform the haka at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
The England team face the All Blacks as they perform the haka at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. Photograph: Dan Mullan/RFU/The RFU Collection/Getty Images

Henry Pollock’s starring role in England’s response to the haka was designed by Jamie George, who revealed he took inspiration from the 2019 World Cup semi-final win and admitted they risked poking the bear before clinching a first home win against the All Blacks in 13 years.

George admitted he was the brains behind England’s decision to ­initially line up as usual while the All Blacks performed their traditional war dance before breaking out into a V‑shape. As the eldest player in the squad, George was intentionally on one end with Pollock, the youngest, on the other. The captain, Maro Itoje, stood at the point of the V, which, in truth, looked more like a C-shaped formation.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Harry Potter and Cursed Child director pushed back on making play shorter: ‘I was dragged kicking and screaming’
Play, which originally opened in 2016 as two parts, has been condensed into one production
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Smokers have a lower risk of Parkinson’s – we may have found out why
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of ill health and early death. Yet smokers seem to have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than non-smokers – by around half according to some studies.
The Conversation
The Conversation
NY Woman finds stolen Tamayo painting in trash; Sotheby’s sells it for $1.049 million
In 2003, Elizabeth Gibson found a brightly coloured painting in the rubbish on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She later discovered it was Rufino Tamayo’s 1970 work “Tres Personajes”, stolen from a Houston couple in 1987. Sotheby’s planned to auction it for up to $1 million.
The Times of India
The Times of India
Jaden Newman Leaked Video Controversy: Viral Post Claims LaMelo Ball Paid Her $250K for One Encounter
A viral post claimed LaMelo Ball paid Jaden Newman $250,000 after seeing a private video, but no reliable evidence supports the alleged payment, encounter or quote.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
His Wife Says Decades of Sleep Talking Nearly Went Quiet After Hypnosis Gave Her a One-Word Cue
A man's decades-long sleep talking faded after hypnosis gave his wife a librarian's "Shhhh" as a cue, a case report says. Here's what it shows.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
A Woman Smoked, Ate, and Walked in Her Sleep, and the Behaviors Returned Every Time Her Medication Stopped
A woman sleepwalked, ate, and smoked during sleep. A 2022 case report found that one bedtime drug quieted all three until it was stopped.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play