Hook Happy To Hook

Wales' latest injury-prompted reshuffle may have raised eyebrows across the rugby world, but James Hook has declared himself ready for the challenge of playing in an international front row for the first time in his 50-cap career.

"I'm just happy to play for my country," said the 26-yr-old at the team anouncement, "I know I've not had much experience in the pack - and everyone knows I'm a back at heart - but this is just a new challenge really, and I'm up for it."

"The clue was in the name, really" said forwards coach Robin McBryde, when asked to explain his thinking. "Hook, hooker - I'm actually not sure why we didn't spot it earlier. James has responded really well in training, and I think I've even noticed one of his ears start to curl..."

"James has been our first-choice fly-half for nearly two weeks now." backs coach Rob Howley explained. "I'm sure the chance to have a change, to try something new, will only make him a better player."

Hook's sudden and unexpected admission to the fabled "Front Row Union" has left little time for bonding with his new packmates. However, McBryde was able to use the team announcement to present Hook with a gift from his teammates, in the form of a stringed musical instrument. Head coach Warren Gatland then revealed that the squad would be leaving the hotel direct for a local dairy farm, where a brief initiation ceremony would be performed.

Different Kinds of Average

Against England in Cardiff, Wales were decidedly average. Against slightly-better-than-average opponents, it seemed they just weren't quite average enough. What such a downtrodden and self-doubting bunch most needed next, was to come up against a side for whom the rarefied uplands of "Average" are but a giddy dream. Step forward, then, "much-improved" pre-match favourites, Scotland.

Australia and South Africa have recently failed at Murrayfield. Argentina coughed up only their second-ever series defeat to northern opposition when faced with this rejuvenated, resurgent Scottish team. Popular wisdom said that Wales - floundering, spluttering, punch-drunk Wales - were just so much haggis meat.

Well, the pundits weren't completely wrong. Wales were still average, although they did seem this time to have at least crested the foothills and begun an assault on Average Peak. Scotland? Well, frankly, no-one has any idea. This was a no-show that even Donald Rumsfeld might have seemed embarrassed to explain. Scottish fans are no strangers to disappointment, of course, but it's hard to remember seeing any Scotland team play quite so spectacularly badly as they did on Saturday.

All of which - rather annoyingly - dulls the joy of a long-awaited Welsh win. 24-6 is a hearteningly comprehensive scoreline. In fact, it's Wales' second-best winning margin in Edinburgh. It was achieved with the best 20 minutes of attacking rugby this team have produced in two years, followed by an hour of calmness and control that had previously seemed far beyond their capabilities. It was, in all honesty, nothing special for all that. It didn't need to be. Wales took their chances, made their tackles, used their strengths and avoided their weaknesses. It was an impressive professional performance, in a game that will be swiftly, and justly, forgotten. An "ugly" win, but a big one.

Rome awaits for a Wales team who will now have half a spring in their step. It would be as well for them to expect to meet the Italian team that made Ireland look so ordinary, rather than the sickly shadow that helped make England look so fine. This remains an eminently losable match. But a least the sense of doom has now been replaced by a more healthy apprehension.

Meanwhile, Scotland's drawing board needs to be returned to the drawing board factory for replacement, before they can even think of going back to the drawing board. And long before the Irish arrive in town.

An Uneasy Nostalgia

Wales v England in Cardiff. Although Wales have won this fixture the last three times, only last time, in 2009, were they actually pre-match favourites. That was a novel experience for Welsh fans. Tonight, things are pretty much back to normal, and it doesn't feel good.

Sure, most pundits give this depleted Wales outfit a fighting chance against a similarly weakened English side. Nonetheless, most of the smart money seems to rest on a narrow victory for the Great White Satan. How different things looked only a few weeks ago. Then, how the backs were going to make the most of their forwards' dominance seemed Wales' greatest problem. It's hard not to feel sorry for Paul James and Craig Mitchell, who must be sick of hearing how the Welsh front row is now a shadow of itself. But with two Lions props missing, how can it be viewed otherwise? James is rapidly improving as a player, but he's no Gethin Jenkins, while Mitchell is on the dangerous end of the promise/experience curve which Adam Jones has negotiated with aplomb. Mere parity at the scrum would now be an achievement.

The plus side for Wales is that England's lineout is similarly denuded. There will be no excuses there - which may have been the factor which got Stephen Jones' control the nod at 10, over the temptations of James Hook's creativity. As ever, an iniquitous burden rests on the veteran fly-half's broad shoulders. Should he carry it through, Wales might just beat the odds.

And so they should. England are a more confident, settled side, but the difference is not great enough for Wales ' fans to accept a home defeat. It's a must-win match for both sides, indeed - but a fully-firing home side should edge it. For better or worse, it's left to this matchday XXII to instil a new confidence in their anxious public, that what can be done, will. Are they up to it?