James Hook spurred by Fiji failure

JAMES Hook admits the pain of Wales' World Cup demise four years ago will be a motivating factor in New Zealand next month.

Hook struggles not to wince when recalling the shock 38-34 defeat against Fiji in Nantes that sent Wales home before the quarter-finals and cost coach Gareth Jenkins his job.

The Perpignan-bound stand-off is likely to be one of only five survivors from that starting XV who will feature in current boss Warren Gatland's 30-man World Cup squad when it is announced next Monday.

And, while time is said to be a great healer, Hook makes an exception when he recalls events at Stade de la Beaujoire on 29 September, 2007. He said: "The disappointment of that World Cup is still in the back of minds."

Hook, who will win his 54th cap in Saturday's final warm-up encounter against Argentina at the Millennium Stadium, added: "We want to go out to New Zealand and prove to ourselves and the Wales fans that we are a better team than we were in 2007. It's putting a few wrongs to right.

"The game has moved on a heck of a lot since then.

"The patterns we are using now are completely different to what we were playing then. At the moment, we are in a better position to what we were."