NEWPORT Gwent Drag-ons threequarter Hal Luscombe has won all his ten Welsh caps on the wing, but that looks set to change.

The Six Nations Champion-ship is little more than a month away, with Wales opening their defence of the title against England at Twickenham on February 4.

Coach Mike Ruddock, recently decorated in the New Year's honours list, is naming his Six Nations squad on January 18 when he still has to grapple with a major injury list, with Kevin Morgan, Gavin Henson, Tom Shanklin, Brent Cockbain and Ryan Jones all certain to be missing for one reason or another.

The centre positions will be a real concern for him with Henson suspended and Shanklin injured, as well as the international career of Mark Taylor in some doubt.

In Wales' last game when they beat Australia on November 26 the positions were filled by Sonny Parker and Matthew Watkins, with skipper Gareth Thomas playing there against South Africa the week before and Ceri Sweeney and Taylor occupying the roles in the opening November game against New Zealand.

So it's been a bit of a merry-go-round with both positions clearly up for grabs. One solution would be to go for Luscombe who missed the entire Autumn series because of a broken thumb.

He had previously occupied the wing position, mainly on the right, for Wales until an injury jinx struck, hamstring and back problems ruling him out midway through last year's Six Nations, followed by the broken thumb.

But in the early part of this season and since he has returned Luscombe has shown a real spark at outside centre which has always been his preferred position.

Henson and Shanklin established themselves at centre last season, with Luscombe and Shane Williams on the wings as the coaching team wanted to go with a good 'little un and a big un' on the flanks.

But 24-year-old Luscombe has looked the part at 13, a threatening runner and an all-embracing tackler who could well play in his favourite position at last for his adopted country having come over from his native South Africa around seven years ago.

He ought to make it on merit, a situation also made easier by the successful return to international rugby of Dafydd James and the emergence of fellow Llanelli Scarlets player Mark Jones after a horrendous run of knee injuries. They will challenge for the wing positions along with Shane Williams.

A third Scarlet runner, Matthew Watkins, could be the main obstacle to Luscombe playing at outside centre at the start of the Six Nations, but at least it's encouraging for Ruddock that there are options.

Dwayne Peel looks set to return at scrum half now that he has also recovered from injury to bolster the backs, with Gareth Cooper and Mike Phillips battling it out as well for the right to partner Stephen Jones, set to return to Wales with the Blues.

Gethin Jenkins is another British Lion who has returned to the fray after injury while Dafydd Jones is also up and running again after a series of injuries.

Jenkins will feature in a huge battle with Duncan Jones for the loose head prop position, but the extra power of the Blues player could edge him the vote, plus the fact that he can play either side of the scrum.

Rhys Thomas and Chris Horsman, the two finds of the Autumn series, are sure to be the other front row pair. Dafydd Jones will have to compete with Newcastle captain Colin Charvis, now 33 and refusing to go away, for the blindside spot.

Dragons lock Ian Gough, like James, made an impressive return to the international stage in the Autumn and seems a certainty for his first Six Nations start for four years against England.

It may be just over a month away and injuries could yet deal Ruddock another bad hand, but at this stage I'm predicting the following 22 for the England game:

Team: G Thomas (captain), M Jones, H Luscombe, S Parker, S Williams, S Jones, D Peel, G Jenkins, R Thomas, C Horsman, I Gough, R Sidoli, C Charvis, M Owen, M Williams. Replacements: M Watkins, D James/C Sweeney, G Cooper/M Phillips, Duncan Jones, M Rees, L Charteris, Dafydd Jones.