James Hook says Warren Gatland will view the possibility of a return to Wales as a "win-win", but has urged the Welsh Rugby Union to look in a fresh direction as questions over Wayne Pivac's future continue to gather pace.
Pivac is seemingly edging closer to an exit after overseeing another disappointing defeat to Australia on Saturday, a game which saw Wales blow a 21-point lead.
Defeat to Georgia and a heavy loss to the All Blacks had already increased the pressure on the Kiwi coach, who unsurprisingly found himself on the back foot after his side were shocked by Italy in their final game of the Six Nations earlier in the year.
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The WRU confirmed on Sunday night that it will conduct a review into what has been a disappointing autumn campaign, and speculation is already raging over where they could turn should they decide to dismiss Pivac.
Reports have already linked Warren Gatland with a possible return ahead of the World Cup, but not everyone is convinced it would be the right move.
Former international Hook believes the job could well prove tempting to Gatland, but doesn't think it would be the right step.
Speaking to Scrum V, he said: "If you look at it personally for Warren Gatland, it’s a win-win for him. If he comes in and sorts Wales out and they get to a World Cup semi-final or final, he’s all of a sudden the messiah again.
"If it doesn’t work out he can blame the state of Welsh rugby. He obviously knows the players. Will he have the same effect he had in 2008 when he took over? I don’t know.
"I wouldn’t [bring him in]. Because if we’re going to get a new coach, let’s get someone fresh with new ideas.
"There’s a lot of talent in Wales and we saw that in the first half [against Australia]. You look at the Lions tour in South Africa, they didn’t play the best rugby. There was a lot of kicking. I’d like to see a coach with new ideas, a new game plan so they can bring the best out of the players."
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