They may be the Tall Blacks but wee guys can still shock Kiwis
Jones reckons Scots have measure of world champs
LEE JONES insists he’s ready to do battle with rugby’s land of the giants and insists the All Blacks’ strength is also their Achilles heel. The Glasgow wing knows the dark blues have never won against the current World Champions in 30 attempts but he’s adamant the size and stature of New Zealand’s attacking division – that includes man-mountain Nemani Nadolo – can be a chink in their armour. Gregor Townsend’s men kicked off the first of their three match Autumn Test series last weekend with an error-ridden defensive display in a 44-38 success that did little to encourage confidence ahead of this latest Murrayfield meeting. The Kiwis survived a second-half fightback by France last weekend to triumph 38-13 and Jones is convinced the bigger they are the harder they will fall. He said: “The players teams are producing now are like genetic freaks. They are turning up on the wing and are double the height but can run fast as well, so they have a bit of everything.
“But it doesn’t always come down to size – it’s about rugby ability as well and smaller guys are going to have advantages over bigger guys in certain areas.
“I’d like to think the wee guy can always beat the big guy when he’s at his best.
“Whoever New Zealand puts on the park, especially in the back three, is an athlete first and foremost. They’re good rugby players but also phenomenal athletes and that presents a challenge.
“I’ll look at individuals once their side has been selected and see where his strengths are and where his opportunities are to see what I can potentially exploit.
“When you play a team like New Zealand you know it’ll be a challenge regardless of who they put out.”
The 29-year-old flying machine has returned from the international wilderness after being snubbed by Townsend’s predecessor Vern Cotter – but Jones insists it’s water under the bridge.
He said: “It was a long time, five and a half years since I’d played a match at Murrayfield. To be back there at the weekend was special.
“Selection can be subjective. For me it was just a case of putting my rugby on the park and if that was good enough to be selected, great. There was no communication between Vern and me. It’s a long time but I always knew if I could play to the best of my ability and put myself out there for the coaches to see I’d be in with a good opportunity of getting back in there.”
Jones is expected to get the nod to line-up against the All Blacks and he believes only an optimum display will provide any chance of delivering a historic result.
He said: “It’s a massive challenge. The players and management are buzzing just to have a go at the best team in the world.
“We have to be confident. The boys need to have their best game and if we do that we will put ourselves in a good position to win. That’s how we have to look at it.”
Meanwhile Scotland skipper John Barclay has refused to discuss speculation linking him with a move to Edinburgh from Scarlets.
But he is focused on finally ending a winless run against the best side on the planet.
He said: “It’s one of those stats isn’t it? We’ve certainly not mentioned it. It will still be the stat come one minute before kick-off. We’ll then have 80 minutes of rugby to play. It’s a huge challenge but an exciting one to try to change that record.
“I just think about winning. You always imagine that final whistle. This weekend will be very hard. They don’t lose many games, although they have lost a few in the past year.
“We can’t sit back and watch them play. We have to play with intent, be aggressive and try to impose ourselves on them.”