Rugby World Cup: England fined for haka challenge as All Blacks praise 'fantastic response'

England players celebrate after the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final match between England and New Zealand at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan. AFP

Courtney Lawes, left, and Sam Underhill celebrate after the match. AFP

Players celebrate after winning the match. AFP

Tom Curry reacts to his team's win. Getty Images

Players react after winning over New Zealand. AP Photo

Players celebrate winning the semi-final match. AFP

Mark Wilson reacts after winning the match. AFP

England fans cheer during the match. Reuters

England fans in the stands celebrate after the 2019 Rugby World Cup Semi Final match. David Davies / PA Wire

England fans celebrate after the match. Reuters

England have been fined an undisclosed amount after their V-shape formation response to New Zealand's haka at last weekend's Rugby World Cup semi-final, despite a positive response from both All Blacks players and World Rugby's social media channels.

Protocol states opponents must remain in their own half while the All Blacks perform their traditional war dance, but several England players strayed across halfway despite the efforts of officials to usher them back.

Despite the fine, New Zealand's beaten coach Steve Hansen on Wednesday praised the way England's players faced down the haka, calling it "brilliant and imaginative".

All Blacks hooker Dane Coles described it as "awesome", joking that England would be happy to take the financial hit.

Additionally, World Rugby's YouTube channel captioned the video as "incredible" while also accumulating more than four million views.

The amount of the fine was not revealed but in 2011, France were docked £2,500 (Dh11,800) after they formed an arrowhead shape and marched towards the haka before the World Cup final in Auckland.

England won the blockbuster semi-final 19-7 to dethrone the two-time defending champions and will take on South Africa in Saturday's final.

As New Zealand lined up to begin the haka, England's players opted not to face the challenge shoulder-to-shoulder, as is customary, and instead lined up in an inverted V with the two prongs arrowing towards their rivals, as if to envelop them.

At the tips of the formation, six players - Joe Marler, Billy Vunipola, Mark Wilson, Elliot Daly, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ben Youngs - appeared to be in New Zealand's half as referee Nigel Owens tried in vain to order them back.

After the blockbuster clash, New Zealand scrum-half Aaron Smith claimed that England captain Owen Farrell, who stood at the apex of the V, had winked at him.

Videos of Farrell and centre Manu Tuilagi smirking at the haka, while prop Kyle Sinckler rolls his eyes, have gone viral.

England's Mako Vunipola revealed that head coach Eddie Jones, one of rugby's great wind-up merchants, had come up with the idea as a ploy to "rile up" the All Blacks.

Farrell added: "We wanted not to just stand there and let them come at us."

World Rugby said England had breached tournament rules "relating to cultural challenges", but Hansen applauded the actions of the English players.

"I thought their response was fantastic," he said. "They didn't get fined for responding to the haka - they got fined for coming over halfway.

"Joe (Marler) didn't go back when he was told two or three times. The haka requires a response. It's a challenge to you, personally, and it requires a response. I thought it was brilliant and quite imaginative, too."

Marler continued to remonstrate with Owens as he left the pitch to take his place on the bench. Coles, though, insisted there were no hard feelings.

"That's what it's about, I thought it was awesome," he said. "All the boys were pretty pumped. They earn a [lot] of money so they can afford the fines.

"They'd be like 'I'll take the hit!' We were looking around at each other, going: 'Bring it on'. It was awesome. We enjoyed it."

Asked about England's haka challenge, Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus said: "I don't think it was disrespectful ... I wouldn't make a big issue about it."