England vs New Zealand: Scott Barrett says Joe Marler's haka criticism has 'loaded the gun'

All Blacks lock Scott Barrett says England prop Joe Marler's criticism of the haka has "loaded the gun" for Saturday's Test at Twickenham.

Marler said last week that he found the haka "a bit cringey" and suggested New Zealand should perform it after the match instead of before.

Barrett, who has played 51 Tests for the All Blacks, said Marler's comments had fired up the New Zealand team.

"It's certainly added a bit of spice to the week," Barrett said. "We take a lot of pride in the haka. It's a big part of our culture and our identity. For someone to come out and say that, it's certainly loaded the gun for us this week."

Barrett said the All Blacks would use Marler's criticism as motivation. "We're going to go out there and give them a performance that they're not going to forget," he said.

The haka is a traditional Maori war dance that has been performed by the All Blacks before Test matches since 1905. It is a powerful and intimidating display, and is designed to intimidate the opposition.

Marler's comments have been met with a mixed reaction in England. Some people have defended Marler's right to express his opinion, while others have accused him of being disrespectful.

The All Blacks are the reigning world champions and are one of the most successful teams in rugby history. They will be looking to extend their winning run against England to 10 matches on Saturday.