NOW that James Hook has been given the keys to No 10 for Wales they’ve got to keep him there, says Newport star David Watkins, one of the outside half greats who successfully made a switch in codes and positions when he went to rugby league.

And he believes a player like Hook, with his intuitive skills, can still inspire Wales to victory even in an age where the game is all about power.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has departed from his more structured approach for today’s Six Nations clash against Scotland at Murrayfield by leaving Stephen Jones out and handing the job to Hook for the first time in two years.

“There’s a different emphasis this time. James is a very talented player and he’s been an outside half from day one,” said Watkins, who won 21 caps for Wales and went on to enjoy a wonderful career in league, becoming the only player to captain Great Britain in both codes.

“If James is going to play there he’s got to have a run there, they’ve got to persevere with him. He’s a very good putside half and a confident type of player which is a big thing and he can instil that into other players,” said Watkins.

“A lot of the modern game is based on physical strength, but people have to realise you still need players with natural ability who can turn the game, and he’s the sort of guy who can do that.

“You should never go away from the fact that a bit of individuality can win a game, you’ve got to encourage that because a player like James can break the mould.

“When I went to rugby league they decided to move me to the centre which was a bit daunting, but it worked because they persevered and allowed me to settle there - you’ve got to give Hook that opportunity.”

Watkins admits the pressure is really on the Welsh players to get the victory which would end their eight-game winless streak and says the key will be how well they start.

“We’ve gone up to Murrayfield in years gone by hugely confident and then Scotland have turned us over and it’s become a disaster,” he said.

“If Wales start well that will breed confidence, once you go behind up there it’s difficult to make it up.

“It’s a big trip for the Welsh who will party from Thursday to Sunday so there’s a lot of pressure on the players.

“We are probably the worst of the lot in Wales, there’s a huge bias and there is major pressure on the players to perform whereas it’s not as severe in Scotland or in England.

“If Wales are not winning it’s harder than ever to turn it around, it’s so demanding on the players, it’s their livelihood now, so it’s even more, whereas we could go into work and just suffer a bit of taunting.”

Watkins still believes Wales can end their losing sequence today.

“They’re trying to put it right and it’s going to be tough, but if we play as well as we are able to, then we can win - but we’ve got to start well,” he said.