The French-based Phillips has warned his colleagues to ignore the hype surrounding Wales’s Triple Crown bid as Warren Gatland’s men chase a 20th championship crown.
“It is going to be a difficult game,” said the 62 times-capped Bayonne star. “They have won two games in the tournament, and people haven’t been giving them much credit. We know they will be going out to prove people wrong.
“England might say themselves they haven’t fired or clicked yet, but they are only one game away from possibly doing that. They have got some great players and they are a major threat.
“People are quick to criticise, but I think it has been harsh. They have had two good wins on the road, so they must have good belief and confidence in themselves.
“They are going to be firing – it is going to be a proper Test match. The good thing about this Wales team is that there are so many threats in the side,” Phillips added.
“We are playing some good stuff, but at the same time I think we have left a lot of points out there in our games so far.
“There is always pressure, but I think you have got to push those things (Triple Crown) to the back of your mind and forget about all that kind of stuff.
“You just concentrate on the next play, the next scrum, the next lineout and knowing and doing your role. You can’t think about end results, because that is where you start going wrong.
“We’ve got to forget about the newspapers and television and concentrate on our job. As soon as you start thinking about external things, you will start making mistakes.”
