WALES coach Warren Gatland names his squad for the Six Nations Championship next Monday and with the countdown to the first game against England on February 4 now under way he has one mighty problem.

And that is what on earth does he do about the centre position? It’s not that there’s a dearth of centres, far from it, for they are falling over themselves to make the Welsh team for the big opener.

The difficulty is they are all essentially 12s, with barely an outside centre in sight and none of the major candidates really at home there.

Jamie Roberts, James Hook and Jonathan Davies are right on the button, though Hook did have to withdraw from the Ospreys squad for the Leinster game last Friday with back spasms.

But how to choose between them and who to play at 13? Each one features at inside centre for his region, though Hook can play at outside half and could even be considered there by Gatland while Roberts has also played for Wales at full back and on the wing.

But those were in the early days of his career and since then he has become probably the most explosive inside centre in world rugby, terrorising defences both for Wales and for the Lions in South Africa where he was voted man of the series 18 months ago.

It seems inconceivable Wales will take the field against the power of England without Roberts in the key role of 12, but where would that leave Hook and Davies?

The form player pound for pound in any position in Wales at the moment is Davies.

It seems as though his enforced three-months lay-off with an ankle injury has revitalised him, for he has resumed in devastating form.

He showed signs against the Dragons at Parc y Scarlets, but he really came into his own against Edinburgh when his forceful, pacey running created one try and made another for himself. On this form it would be difficult to ignore his claims for a place in the Welsh team, but where could that be if Roberts is the nailed-on No 12?

Hook’s case is slightly different though Ospreys director of coaching and former Wales chief Scott Johnson believes 12 is his best position, and so do many others.

He is probably the victim of his own versatility because he can play at centre, outside half and full back.

Indeed, he has occupied all three positions for Wales.

When there’s a problem in one area it seems Wales turn to Hook, as happened at full back in the last two autumn series when Lee Byrne was ruled out by injury and there was no other suitable candidate in sight.

All of which tempts me to believe that, though a player like Tom Shanklin is available, Gatland may well call on Hook yet again to move away from where he really wants to play and go for him at 13.

It is the worst kept secret in Welsh rugby that Hook is leaving the Ospreys at the end of the season because of his wish to play at 10, yet he figures anywhere but there for country or region.

And Gatland is well aware the Ospreys back division operated far more smoothly in their recent match against the Blues when Hook moved there, lying deeper and bringing his threequarters into play more effectively.

But though Stephen Jones is in the twilight of his career and is fairly predictable he still appears the big favourite to remain as the Wales pivot, so where does that leave Hook, apart from at 13?

And two into one won’t go in what looks like being a straight fight between Roberts and Davies for the inside centre berth.

That is unless Gatland considers moving Roberts back to 15 with Byrne either injured or pretty unreliable as he showed with his wayward kicking against the All Blacks at the end of November.

I can’t see the Wales coach going down that road so we’re back to square one with a plethora of inside centres but lacking a top class 13 with respect to Shanklin who is always a huge trier, and short of cover for Byrne at full back as well. It so happens I believe 15 is the position where Gavin Henson will challenge for a Wales return if and when he shows he is capable of playing international rugby again following his self imposed exile from the game.

I’ve written enough on that subject already, but since last week’s column he has actually been dropped by new club Saracens after an unimpressive debut.

And I note former Wales great Barry John said in his weekly Sunday newspaper column that it would be an insult to the other players to recall him at the moment, which seems spot-on.

But given the number of players bidding for the No 12 slot with Wales, which is arguably Henson’s best position as well, he could well feature eventually at 15 as a replacement for Byrne if the Ospreys player proves fallible again in the Six Nations.

Whatever happens, Gatland appears spoilt for choice after injuries all but wrecked Wales’ hopes in the autumn series.

Could it be a happy new year for Wales after all?