Wales wait on Hook

12 April 2012

Wales are hopeful James Hook will not become the latest injury absentee of their autumn Test series.

The Ospreys fly-half is set to undergo a scan after limping off with knee tendon trouble during Friday night's unimpressive 34-13 victory over Canada.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland said: "He took a bit of a knock on the knee. He will have a scan, but he is hoping he will be okay."

Hook lasted just 18 minutes of an error-strewn Millennium Stadium encounter, making his premature exit just eight days before the reigning RBS 6 Nations champions host New Zealand.

Gatland has already lost centre Gavin Henson, prop Duncan Jones and probably hooker Huw Bennett from the remaining November clashes with the All Blacks and Australia.

If fit, Hook could feature in the starting line-up next weekend when Wales target a first win against New Zealand since 1953.

Hook was replaced by his Ospreys colleague Dan Biggar, who made a Test debut along with Scarlets scrum-half Martin Roberts and Sale Sharks prop Eifion Lewis-Roberts, but 19-year-old Cardiff Blues wing Leigh Halfpenny was Wales' most impressive performer.

Gatland added: "It was great to see Leigh score a couple of tries - he looked dangerous."

At the other end of the scale though, was another strangely-subdued performance from Wales skipper Ryan Jones, who was substituted just 10 minutes into the second-half.

Gatland said: "I was pleased with the victory, but not so pleased with the performance. There were a lot of turnovers - 30 in all, compared to 19 last week (in the 20-15 defeat to South Africa) - so we were not happy with that."

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