Richard Cockerill has warned the All Blacks that England will answer the haka challenge in whichever way they see fit.
Cockerill, Eddie Jones’ assistant coach, stood up to New Zealand’s pre-match ritual in 1997, famously squaring up to opposite number Norm Hewitt, and insists he has not had a moment of regrets.
He has encouraged tomorrow’s sell-out Twickenham crowd to drown out the haka with their cheers - whilst reminding England players that for all the pre-match theatre it is what comes next that really matters.
“We'll respect the haka how we want to respect it,” said Cockerill. “It's a psychological advantage for them and we will deal with it how we feel the right way is to deal with it.
“Personally when I’ve faced the haka it’s been more of a motivator than a demotivator, it doesn’t make me scared, It makes me more motivated. You have to use that.”
England have not toppled New Zealand at Twickenham since 2012, but beat them to a place in the 2019 World Cup final after confronting the haka with a V-shape formation.
It earned them a £2,000 fine and reprimand from World Rugby but that was considered money well spent as it set the defiant tone which launched England to one of their greatest wins.
Cockerill believes the haka has become a bit “sterile" and hopes an 82,000 sell-out crowd will meet it with a rousing version of ‘Swing Low’.
“It's a home game and we want a partisan crowd who are on our side,” he said. “If they can drown out the noise of them doing it then let's bring it on.
"People make too much of it when people do different things towards the haka in their own way. New Zealand are allowed to do what they want to do and the opposition should be allowed to do what they want to do.
“We respect their team and their culture. Conversely they have to respect what other teams do against it.”
The All Blacks are odds-on favourites despite having lost four games already this year, including two in a home series defeat to Ireland.
A week ago Scotland scored 23 unanswered points against a much-changed team only to let slip their best ever chance of a Kiwi scalp.
The look in the England camp after a scratchy opening fortnight is one of steely eyed determination, which goes well beyond answering the Maori war dance.
As Cockerill put it: “We can all stand up to the haka. We can’t all do what happens next for the next 80 minutes.
“We have to front up physically but also our skill levels have to be high and we have to really take the game to them. If we do that we can win, if we don’t we will make it an arm wrestle.
“They're a good team,” he added. “If you let them get on top they will take advantage but if you put them under pressure they're as susceptible to making mistakes and conceding points as anyone else.
“We’ll treat them with huge respect. But not too much.”
England: Steward; Nowell, Tuilagi, Farrell (capt), May; Smith, Van Poortvliet; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Sinckler, Itoje, Hill, Simmonds, Curry, Vunipola.
Replacements: George, M Vunipola, Stuart, Ribbans, Willis, Youngs, Porter, Slade
New Zealand: B Barrett; Telea, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; Mo'unga, Smith; De Groot, Taylor, Lomax, Retallick, Whitelock (capt), S Barrett, Papali'i, Savea
Replacements: Taukei'aho, Bower, Laulala, Frizzell, Sotutu, Perenara, Havili, Lienert-Brown
All Blacks legend Dan Carter says his old team are out to avenge their World Cup loss to England.
New Zealand are on a six-game winning streak and odds-on favourites to win at Twickenham where they last lost a decade ago.
But front of mind is their comprehensive semi-final defeat by England in Yokohama when last the nations met.
Carter, who won 10 of his 11 Tests against the ‘mother country', said: “When you have a defeat like that, the one thing you want to do is play against that opposition again.
“Knowing some of the players who were involved in that game, there will be some personal motivation going on there.
“There are players who have been a part of successful World Cups for New Zealand, so being part of a losing World Cup team really does hurt. They will have have an extra edge for this game.”
