Hook: Belief key for Wales
James Hook has stressed the need for self-belief when Wales set out on their demanding autumn Test match programme.
Wales will host Tri Nations visitors Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, plus their 2007 World Cup conquerors Fiji, next month. Since Warren Gatland was appointed Wales coach in time for the 2008 Six Nations campaign, Wales have played the Tri Nations heavyweights nine times, but recorded just a solitary victory against Australia two years ago.
"We've got to try to beat one of these big teams - we want to win them all, obviously - but we need to win at least one or two to put us in good stead for the Six Nations and then on to the World Cup next year," said Ospreys star Hook.
"If you look at the games, we are not far away. It's a silly penalty, a silly mistake now and again that has cost us. We just need to believe in ourselves. We know we can beat these teams, and we've got to believe from the start. These are massive games for us. We want to try to get a big scalp and get something out of these autumn internationals."
Hook, meanwhile, could find himself answering an SOS from Gatland for the second successive autumn series.
Lee Byrne's broken hand, an injury suffered on Magners League duty for the Ospreys against Glasgow two days ago, might result in Hook being handed the number 15 shirt.
If Gatland decides on that course of action, then it would be a repeat of last year's autumn programme when Byrne was injured and Hook stepped in before emerging as arguably Wales' most consistent player during that four-Test schedule.
Gatland is also set to assess the merits of full-back alternatives like Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Prydie, Chris Czekaj and Will Harries, but Hook could easily find himself in pole position for Australia's Millennium Stadium visit on November 6.
"It is a possibility with Lee being out," added Hook, reflecting on Byrne's fitness setback. "It is the same sort of situation as last year. We've got two weeks of training before the first game against Australia.
"This time last year, I didn't have much experience of full-back, so I was thrown in at the deep end a little bit. But I've got that much more experience of full-back now, if I am called upon."
