James Hook
James Hook was born 27th June 1985 and has 65 caps for Wales.
James Hook spent the 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 seasons with Neath in the Principality Premiership; he was the top points scorer in the earlier season with 411 points and finished just shy of 300 points in the latter season. Hook made the step-up to Regional rugby in 2006–2007 with the Ospreys and made an impressive start to the season, including an injury-time conversion which gave the Ospreys a dramatic Heineken Cup win over Sale. He finished the season on six tries and 235 points for his Magners League title-winning club.
In January 2006, Hook scored one of the late tries in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Plate Final against South Africa to give Wales Sevens the Plate Winners title. He has Wales U19 and U21 caps, and made his Wales Senior debut in June 2006 on the tour to Argentina, playing in the two Tests and scoring 15 points, including a debut try.
Following his success in the sevens set-up and on the Argentine tour, Hook received inclusion in Wales's squad for the 2006 Invesco Perpetual Series. Hook replaced the injured Welsh Captain Stephen Jones in the first game of the Series against Australia, slotted over two conversions and three penalties, and demonstrated the confidence and composure to guarantee further first-team appearances. He made the starting line-up in the second match of the Series against the Pacific Islands, in which he scored a try, and converted eight of the nine tries scored against Canada. Hook was also a replacement for Wales in the loss to New Zealand in the last match of the Series.
Hook represented Wales in the 2007 RBS Six Nations against Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy, in which he scored two penalties and a conversion, and was at the heart of the end-of-match confusion in the controversial Italian win. Hook starred in the last match of the tournament against England and produced a man-of-the-match performance which saved Wales from a whitewash; he scored a try two minutes into the game and kicked four penalties, a conversion and a drop goal to clinch the 27-18 victory.
Hook received a call-up to Wales's two-Test tour to Australia in May 2007; he started at fly half for the first Test in Sydney, scoring two conversions, two penalties and a drop goal. Hook also appeared for Wales in the second Test loss in Brisbane and in June was announced in Gareth Jenkins's 41-man preliminary Rugby World Cup 2007 summer training squad, making the final cut in August.
Hook appeared in both of Wales's Invesco Perpetual Summer Series games against Argentina and France; he gained 12 points against the Pumas and secured all of the Welsh points in the 34-7 defeat to Les Bleus.
Hook was included in Wales's Rugby World Cup squad and started in the Pool opener against Canada, scoring three penalties in the 42-17 victory. He scored two conversions and a penalty in his replacement appearance against Australia, scored a try against Japan in the 72-18 mauling at the Millennium Stadium and notched one conversion in the defeat to Fiji.
Wales Caretaker Coach Nigel Davies selected Hook in his starting line-up for the inaugural Prince William Cup clash against world champions South Africa in November 2007; his only score in the match came as he converted Morgan Stoddart's try, after providing the superb cross-field kick for the debutant to score at the Millennium Stadium.
Hook was included in Warren Gatland's Grand Slam winning RBS Six Nations side in 2008. The fly half made two substitute appearances against Italy and Ireland, at the Triple Crown winning clash at Croke Park, and scored 44 points during the tournament including a superb try score against Scotland at the Millennium Stadium.
He showed his versatility on the summer tour to South Africa, playing the second Test in the unaccustomed position of full-back.
He came on as a replacement against the Springboks in the opening clash in the autumn, banging over four penalties in a narrow defeat. Hook started against Canada and came on as a replacement against New Zealand.
Hook slipped made three appearances from the replacements bench in the 2009 Six Nations before getting a start against Italy in Rome. He joined the Lions tour of South Africa as a replacement for countryman Leigh Halfpenny.
James Hook spent the 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 seasons with Neath in the Principality Premiership; he was the top points scorer in the earlier season with 411 points and finished just shy of 300 points in the latter season. Hook made the step-up to Regional rugby in 2006–2007 with the Ospreys and made an impressive start to the season, including an injury-time conversion which gave the Ospreys a dramatic Heineken Cup win over Sale. He finished the season on six tries and 235 points for his Magners League title-winning club.
In January 2006, Hook scored one of the late tries in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Plate Final against South Africa to give Wales Sevens the Plate Winners title. He has Wales U19 and U21 caps, and made his Wales Senior debut in June 2006 on the tour to Argentina, playing in the two Tests and scoring 15 points, including a debut try.
Following his success in the sevens set-up and on the Argentine tour, Hook received inclusion in Wales's squad for the 2006 Invesco Perpetual Series. Hook replaced the injured Welsh Captain Stephen Jones in the first game of the Series against Australia, slotted over two conversions and three penalties, and demonstrated the confidence and composure to guarantee further first-team appearances. He made the starting line-up in the second match of the Series against the Pacific Islands, in which he scored a try, and converted eight of the nine tries scored against Canada. Hook was also a replacement for Wales in the loss to New Zealand in the last match of the Series.
Hook represented Wales in the 2007 RBS Six Nations against Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy, in which he scored two penalties and a conversion, and was at the heart of the end-of-match confusion in the controversial Italian win. Hook starred in the last match of the tournament against England and produced a man-of-the-match performance which saved Wales from a whitewash; he scored a try two minutes into the game and kicked four penalties, a conversion and a drop goal to clinch the 27-18 victory.
Hook received a call-up to Wales's two-Test tour to Australia in May 2007; he started at fly half for the first Test in Sydney, scoring two conversions, two penalties and a drop goal. Hook also appeared for Wales in the second Test loss in Brisbane and in June was announced in Gareth Jenkins's 41-man preliminary Rugby World Cup 2007 summer training squad, making the final cut in August.
Hook appeared in both of Wales's Invesco Perpetual Summer Series games against Argentina and France; he gained 12 points against the Pumas and secured all of the Welsh points in the 34-7 defeat to Les Bleus.
Hook was included in Wales's Rugby World Cup squad and started in the Pool opener against Canada, scoring three penalties in the 42-17 victory. He scored two conversions and a penalty in his replacement appearance against Australia, scored a try against Japan in the 72-18 mauling at the Millennium Stadium and notched one conversion in the defeat to Fiji.
Wales Caretaker Coach Nigel Davies selected Hook in his starting line-up for the inaugural Prince William Cup clash against world champions South Africa in November 2007; his only score in the match came as he converted Morgan Stoddart's try, after providing the superb cross-field kick for the debutant to score at the Millennium Stadium.
Hook was included in Warren Gatland's Grand Slam winning RBS Six Nations side in 2008. The fly half made two substitute appearances against Italy and Ireland, at the Triple Crown winning clash at Croke Park, and scored 44 points during the tournament including a superb try score against Scotland at the Millennium Stadium.
He showed his versatility on the summer tour to South Africa, playing the second Test in the unaccustomed position of full-back.
He came on as a replacement against the Springboks in the opening clash in the autumn, banging over four penalties in a narrow defeat. Hook started against Canada and came on as a replacement against New Zealand.
Hook slipped made three appearances from the replacements bench in the 2009 Six Nations before getting a start against Italy in Rome. He joined the Lions tour of South Africa as a replacement for countryman Leigh Halfpenny.