England players watch the All Blacks perform their haka. Photo / AP
England players watch the All Blacks perform their haka. Photo / AP
Aside from beating the two-time defending champion All Blacks in last week's semifinal, England will also go down in rugby history for their stunning response to the pre-match haka.
After a week of debate and speculation over how England would respond to the traditional All Black challenge, Owen Farrell's teamlined up in front of the haka in a reverse 'V' formation, setting the tone for the match ahead of kickoff.
The response – along with Farrell's unflinching smirk as he faced the haka – wowed fans and pundits around the world.
England players watch the All Blacks perform their haka. Photo / AP
Whether or not it had any real bearing on the match itself, England managed to channel that energy into the game from the kickoff as they rushed out of the blocks and put the All Blacks on the back foot early on their way to a convincing win.
England, of course, aren't the first team to respond to the haka. Here's a look back at five other instances where teams have responded to the All Blacks' challenge – and how the match played out.
All Blacks v Wallabies – 27 October 1991, Rugby World Cup semifinal
Before the tense World Cup semifinal, Wallabies outside back David Campese refused to accept the All Blacks' challenge and decided to travel back to his goal-line to practice his kicking, while his teammates faced the haka.
Campese ended up having a huge game, scoring a try and assisting another to book Australia's place in the final, which they would end up going on to win.
Campese's response was seen by some as one of the greatest haka challenges of all time, while others criticised his lack of respect for the pre-match tradition.
The Wallabies then decided to completely ignore the challenge as an entire team a few years later, choosing instead to continue on with their warm-ups.
Former Wallabies captain John Eales believed opposition teams needed to defuse the All Blacks haka by reclaiming the moments before kick-off.
However, Eales later admitted that he regrets instructing his side to turn their backs on the challenge after learning more about the haka and its history.
"People often ask me about the haka and I do regret not facing the haka at this time," he said.
"The true value of the haka is in connection, and as the opposition, you need to decide how you are going to connect and not dissipate as a team in that moment."
The response, or lack thereof, ended up coming back to bite the Wallabies, who suffered a 43-6 hiding in wet conditions in Wellington in one of the All Blacks' most dominant performances over Australia.
Three weeks later, the Aussies responded to the haka in a similar fashion and lost once again, this time in a closely-fought encounter in Brisbane.
Result: Wallabies suffered their worst ever defeat to the All Blacks, losing 43-6.
All Blacks v France – 6 October 2007, Rugby World Cup quarter-final
France decided to respond to the haka by lining up in front of the All Blacks in red, white and blue t-shirts in the form of the country's flag, while slowly edging towards the Kiwis.
The two sides ended up just metres away from each other during the haka, a tense moment which set the tone for the quarter-final.
We all know what happened, with France upsetting the All Blacks in a match that still hurts for many New Zealand fans.
Result: France upset the tournament favourites 20-18.
All Blacks v Wales – 22 November 2008
In perhaps the most intense 30 seconds after an All Blacks haka, Wales responded to the challenge by holding their ground and staring down their opponents.
The referee eventually told the players to get on with the game after a long stand-off.
However, Wales were unable to back up the pre-match intensity on the field, going down to the All Blacks 29-9.
Result: All Blacks took a comfortable 29-9 win over Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
All Blacks v France – 23 October 2011, Rugby World Cup final
Let it be known that the French did it before the English.
France joined hands and formed a 'V' formation before the All Blacks' home World Cup final at Eden Park.
Thierry Dusautoir then led his side forward slowly to eventually face the All Blacks haka at halfway. France were later fined for crossing into the All Blacks' half.
However, France were unable to back up their 2007 result and fell to the All Blacks 8-7.
