Hook gives his support toWales embracing the use of double play-makers
THERE had been so much rain even Noah might have called for extra umbrellas, the wi-fi was on the blink and perfect player ID was next to impossible because Leicester Tigers had chosen to turn up with numberless shirts, but midway through the second half came a moment of class which made you glad you’d made the effort.
The ball found it’s way to James Hook, but the traffic was heavy all around.
Not long on the field after stepping off the bench, he could have thrown out a pass some 60 metres out which had ‘ward five, Princess of Wales Hospital’ written all over it.
The Ospreys had been trying to play enterprising rugby in the rain, after all, and adventure seemed the name of the game for them at the Brewery Field. But, in that precise moment, Hook wasn’t going there.
Instead, the replacement full-back did something that bore the hallmark of class.
After assessing his options in the blink of an eye, he spotted a gap behind the Leicester players and flighted the ball perfectly with his right boot onto the exact patch of grass that he had been aiming for, making 50 metres for his side.
It was akin to a quarterback in American football weighing up his options and then making the exact right call.
It made you wonder how it ever reached the point where a player of Hook’s quality has started just three games for Wales since the 2011 World Cup. But that’s all in the past.
He still retains his talent and if Wales want to keep bypassing him, that’s their loss.
But his thoughts on the way forward for the Wales backline are more than a bit interesting. He can play 10, 12, 13 and 15, with his 81 caps gained across those positions, so he has the experience and the knowledge to know what he is talking about.
And, for him, it wouldn’t be the worst idea ever for Warren Gatland to embrace the double-playmaker option that worked so well for the Lions earlier this summer.
Asked would he like Wales to head in that direction, he laughs: “Of course I would, because that’s the position I like to play.”
But he continues in more serious vein: “If you look around the world and at players like Matt Giteau, they’re great to watch. It (a doubleplaymaker system) takes a bit of time to get used to, but I would love to see Wales play that sort of style.”
OK, it would have been something of a shock had Hook called for the continuation of the thinking that has seen him so marginalised at Test level over the past half-decade, but, in fairness, he has always been an advocate of expansive rugby.
He is no Jonny-come-lately to the idea of putting the emphasis on skill and looking to open defences with guile and creativity. Power is important, yes. But so is having the mindset and ability to try something different.
“Everyone wants to see Wales chuck it about and play a wider game,” he says ahead of the Ospreys playing Bath in Swansea on Sunday.
“In the summer it was difficult because of the conditions, but when you look at the way the selection went with the British & Irish Lions with Liam Williams at full-back you can maybe see an intent to play a more attacking brand of rugby.
“I think we will see Wales develop their style of play over the next couple of years.
“The young guns stepped up in the summer. Conditions were tough, but to pick up two wins against quality opposition on the road will stand the boys in good stead.”
The cheer when Hook came on for the Ospreys against Leicester indicated how popular he remains with supporters in his home region. This writer alone has received countless emails from fans over the years, bemoaning his treatment at the hands of the national selectors, with one calling it an “utter waste”.
All concerned will be pleased to learn that their man hasn’t given up on that front yet.
“I don’t think you can pack in those ambitions,” says Hook. “I still feel fit, even though I’m 32. “I’m keeping up with these boys in pre-season and if you say you’ve given up on international rugby, then the door is shut. Why would you do that?”
Here’s the thing: Allan Bateman won 27 of his caps after he went beyond the age Hook is now. One of those appearances was for the Lions. What it said on Bateman’s birth certificate didn’t bother Kevin Bowring, Graham Henry and Ian McGeechan. All that mattered to them was whether he could play or not.
The challenge for Hook is to rekindle the selectors’ interest in him.
The omens looked bright in the game against the Tigers.
In the dressing room before the game, he could have been forgiven for feeling as if he had wandered into a scout camp for a cookout and a sing-song.
The starting line-up contained four backs in Joe Thomas, Owen Watkin, Tom Williams and Luke Price who were 21 or under.
But Hook has no ego and he blended with the youngsters without a problem, on the pitch as well as off it. The touches were still there.
“Whether or not there’s a lot of numbers around him, Hooky makes the right decision nine times out of 10 and he always looks to have time on the ball, the mark of a top player,” says Ospreys defence coach Brad Davis.
“I watched him playing for Gloucester when I was coaching in the Aviva Premiership.
“The real good backline players at the top end seem to have a lot of time to make their decisions.
“You can see Hooky’s touches on the training field. He has a good voice out there, has fitted in seamlessly and is an excellent acquisition for our team.”