JAMES Hook’s future is about to take a dramatic new turn on the field, whether that’s with Wales or on the club front.

He is due to announce where he is going to play his club rugby from next season at a Press conference called in North Wales tomorrow, with Heineken Cup quarter-finalists Perpignan his likely destination.

And he could still, even at this late stage, play in any one of three positions against England in the Six Nations opener on February 4 - centre, full back or outside half.

Wales backs coach Rob Howley said: “Everyone knows about James’ ability and Jonathan Davies is back in form, he was a huge part of the campaign in New Zealand.

“Looking at next week (against England) we want James to create something out of nothing, he was perhaps trying too hard in the autumn, but we’ve got an open mind about where he plays.

“When he has gone to 10, as he did against the Blues and Toulon, it’s been a totally different game and it’s opened up.

“Scott Johnson sees him as a 12 early on then as a 10 later, it suits them and it has worked against the Blues and Toulon.

“Lee Byrne hasn’t played a great deal of rugby and he’ll have to be fit with his kicking game and the way we want to play so we’ll have to see how he goes.

“James going to France isn’t a decision he’s taken lightly, but he’s made his decision and we still expect him to be fully focused for the next 6-8 weeks.

“Ideally, we would want him to play in Wales. When there is a like for like situation, we have said we would select the player who is in Wales and we also want to support our regions.

“We would also have easy access to him and be able to monitor him and we also want the regions to do well, of course.”

But Howley stopped short of saying there would be any sanctions imposed on Hook, or any other player who leaves the country.

Howley also denied that Mike Phillips, the incumbent of his own postion at scrum half, is under any pressure after the Ospreys left him out of their Heineken Cup line-up against Toulon on Saturday.

“Mike is not under any pressure, we are not concerned with his form and when he came on the width Hooky got from him stretched the opposition,” he said.

“We didn’t have to pick Dwayne Peel but we have watched him four or five times in the last six or seven weeks.

“He has never managed to put a few games together, but against Brive home and away and against Leicester and Saracens he has played particularly well.”