This should have been the season when James Hook made the Wales outside-half position his own, turning promise and potential into performance and the Lions Test jersey, but his only start has been against Canada last November when he limped off 20 minutes in.
Limp sums how Hook's career has progressed since he crafted Wales's opening two victories in last year's Six Nations, creating a try out of nothing for Lee Byrne to launch the comeback against England at Twickenham before fashioning one try and scoring another in the home victory over Scotland.
Hook was taken off before the end of the third quarter against Scotland after being caught in possession a couple of times in his own half. Wales conceded penalties which allowed the Scots to mount a comeback of sorts and he has since only twice started for his country at outside-half.
The head coach, Warren Gatland, has preferred the greater controlling influence of Stephen Jones in the position rather than the mercurial Hook. Gatland has given Hook another chance on Saturday against Italy in Rome, but a position that a year ago was so hotly contested that the coach admitted there was little to choose between Jones and Hook, now has a clear pecking order with Jones making eight successive starts in major internationals before this week.
"Italy is a hugely important game for me with Stephen playing so well," said the 23-year-old Hook, who will be winning his 33rd cap, one point shy of 200 in international rugby. "It is my chance to stake a claim for the jersey. It has been frustrating sitting on the bench this year, but you have to look for positives in everything and at least I have been involved; not as much as I want, but better than being on the outside. It is a case of being stronger for the experience.
"Warren is looking for control from me, bossing the boys around a bit and being a leader on the field. That is what I will be aiming to do. I have had the chance of watching Stephen from the bench and he has controlled matches. He has been in outstanding form and now it is down to me. I am not the only player in the side with a point to prove with so many changes having been made.
"We must not fall into the trap of trying to play too much too early. Italy are a gutsy side, especially at home, and we cannot go into the game worrying that Ireland have a better points difference than us. We have to get the game won first. We had a very tough first half against Italy in Cardiff last year before pulling away after the break and I played in Rome two years ago when we lost."
It will possibly be Hook's one chance to impress the Lions' selectors in what has become a problem position for the tourists with Jonny Wilkinson injured, Ronan O'Gara far from his most imposing and Danny Cipriani away from the international arena. Jones is the one contender in any sort of form, but he struggled in Paris last month.
After Wales won the grand slam last year, many saw Hook and Gavin Henson as a potential 10-12 pairing for the Lions, but this weekend will be the first time they have started a game for Wales together since then, and Gatland will be looking for them both to be more vocal and assertive.
"We are comfortable playing alongside each other," said Hook. "We have been together in the Ospreys for a few years, but for one reason or another we have not partnered each other much this season."
There were suggestions a few weeks ago that Hook was unsettled at the Ospreys after being left out of some high profile matches, the frustration curdling together with his demotion to the Wales bench, and was looking to move to England or France.
But he said: "Things have gone well at the Ospreys. We are in the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup and the EDF Energy Cup. It has been more disappointing with Wales, but I have the chance to rectify that."
Wales have yet to scale the heights of last season, not least because they have lacked Hook's ability to unpick tight defences, and the Lions, never mind Wales, need him at his light-fingered, quick-heeled best.
