Gloucester director David Humphreys calls for patience after poor show from James Hook

The big-money signing failed to deliver against London Welsh

James Hook of Gloucester kicks a penalty during the Aviva Premiership match between London Welsh and Gloucester Rugby at Kassam Stadium (GETTY IMAGES)

Gloucester may have recorded their first bonus-point away victory in almost six years at London Welsh last weekend, but there are still murmurings of discontent at Kingsholm. David Humphreys, the new director of rugby, felt the need on Monday to defend one of the club’s big-money signings, James Hook, after the Wales outside-half was given the shepherd’s crook treatment just 53 minutes into the match at the Kassam Stadium.

“We knew when James arrived that he hadn’t had a huge amount of game time in the position,” said Humphreys, pointing to the fact that Hook played a good deal of his rugby at full-back during a three-year stint with Perpignan. “We knew it would take him time to bed in, not just into the position but into the style of rugby we want to play. We’ve signed him as a No 10 and I’ve no doubt you’ll see him playing the role for Gloucester.”

While Hook was on the field last Friday night, Gloucester struggled to impose their authority on the Exiles. His goal-kicking left a good deal to be desired and there were only two points in it before Humphreys and his coaching team introduced Mark Atkinson off the bench, shifted the England centre Billy Twelvetrees to No 10 and were rewarded with a late avalanche of tries.

There has long been a feverish debate over Hook’s optimum role – he can play in any one of four back-line positions – and as Gloucester have options at outside-half in the shape of Scotland international Greig Laidlaw and the gifted England Under 20s playmaker Billy Burns, there is likely to be a good deal of discussion over the midfield set-up in the coming weeks.

As England’s injuries mount up ahead of the autumn internationals in November – a series that begins against New Zealand, the reigning world champions – Stuart Lancaster will be keeping an eye on Tom Wood’s situation. The Northampton flanker withdrew from last weekend’s meeting with Bath because of a back problem and may not return for another fortnight.