While Priestland came of age at the World Cup as Wales reached the semi-finals, Hook endured a nightmare trip and failed with the boot against South Africa, France and Australia.

This season the 26-year-old has been given the chance to hone his skills at fly-half after swapping Ospreys, where he was predominantly deployed in the centre, for Perpignan in France.

Priestland remains Warren Gatland’s first-choice in the Wales No.10 shirt but he faces a fitness test before Friday’s team announcement for the opener against Ireland and Hook insists he’s ready, willing and able to step up to the plate.

“[The World Cup] was so disappointing for me and my family,” said Hook.

“The semi-final was the lowest I have been after a game, without a doubt. You can't quite think straight for a while and moving to France was the best thing for me, probably.

“I was bitterly disappointed. I worked so hard for what is the pinnacle of international rugby and it didn't go well.

“But I have got over that now and it is about this Six Nations and beyond.”

Hook has long been seen as the rightful heir to the No.10 shirt but has fallen down the pecking order since his poor World Cup showing.

But kicking coach Neil Jenkins has warned not to write off the mercurial Welshman.

“I was quite happy with our goal-kicking in the World Cup until the semi-final,” said Jenkins.

"I was very pleased with the quarter-final [against Ireland] because the conditions in Wellington were some of the worst I had experienced.

"For some reason, it did not quite go our way in the semi-final.

"We do not want our kickers to miss kicks and they do not want to miss them, but at the end of the day stuff does happen. They work extremely hard and the semi-final was one of those days."