Hook is the weak link in the Welsh team.
Not through any deficiency in his game, no - just that his style of play is not what is needed.
(Now I know that ‘forwards win matches, backs decide by how much’ etc etc but that is not totally applicable to Wales; the whole team has to play well for us to stand even a chance of winning. The whole team.)
Currently we need to get across the Styx of modern rugby, reach the far bank of the Rubicon. (Eh?! - Ed.)
Well, to use the vernacular – we need a bit of straight-up bosh and get across the bludi gain-line.
Hook should be sacrificed (albeit temporarily) on the Alter of Grunt.
A subtle payer was Nigel Davies. And he currently coaches the sideways scampering ‘girls’ (as Brian Moore calls ‘em). I think he should be looking to straighten it up a bit and then play pretty. Desperately simple, but clearly required.
Woodland, Gibbs, Gravell, Matthews, Bidgood, Laity.
Now, play Hook at 10 by all means, just not yet. Play him at 13, by all means, but not now; replace him 'til we get a bit of go forward into the game. That’s all I’m saying.
*‘Cross this Line and War is Made’ – the Law of the River Rubicon, N. Italy.
And if you look at the clubs this lot play for, you can see why we is underdogs...
Italy
15 Roland De Marigny (Calvisano)
14 Kaine Robertson (Viadana)
13 Gonzalo Canale (Clermont)
12 Mirco Bergamasco (S Francais)
11 Matteo Pratichetti (Calvisano)
10 Ramiro Pez (Bayonne)
9 Alessandro Troncon (Clermont)
1 Andrea Lo Cicero (L'Aquila)
2 Carlo Festuccia (Gran Parma)
3 Carlos Nieto (Gloucester)
4 Santiago Dellape (Biarritz)
5 Marco Bortolami (Gloucester, capt)
6 Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano)
8 Sergio Parisse (S Francais)
7 Mauro Bergamasco (S Francais)