O'Sullivan backs BOD to be ready

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Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is confident Brian O'Driscoll will be fit for Saturday's Six Nations clash with Scotland.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is confident his captain, Brian O'Driscoll, will be fit for Saturday's Six Nations clash with Scotland.

O'Driscoll's calf tightened up in training this morning and a clearer picture of the severity of the problem will emerge over the next two days.

Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald has remained with the senior squad to cover for the Ireland centre in case his condition deteriorates.

But O'Sullivan is convinced his skipper will be available for the Croke Park showdown against Frank Hadden's Six Nations strugglers.

“We expect Brian will be fine but as a precaution I'm holding onto Luke Fitzgerald, who would have been playing for the A team,” he said.

“When a player gets a niggle early in the week it's a concern, but it's only Tuesday and the match is Saturday, so I'm confident he'll be fine.

“However, it's Six Nations rugby and you have to cover the doomsday scenario in case Brian doesn't make it.

“Having Luke there is just a precaution and I'm not worried. We'll be better equipped to make a judgment tomorrow [Wednesday] and the day after.

“Brian is a power runner and he does pick up the odd tweak, but the doctor is very confident.”

Should O'Driscoll be forced out against the Scots, Shane Horgan will be promoted from the bench to centre with Fitzgerald plugging the gap among the substitutes.

As it stands, Horgan must watch from the sidelines for the second successive Six Nations match after Tommy Bowe was catapulted straight into the starting line-up.

The clamour for Bowe's inclusion, which has gathered momentum on the back of his dazzling form for Ulster this season, could no longer be ignored by O'Sullivan.

The Ospreys-bound 23-year-old won his 10th cap in last August's World Cup warm-up against Scotland but lost out on selection for the tournament to Brian Carney.

Andrew Trimble, Geordan Murphy and Rob Kearney have since been preferred in the Six Nations to date but Murphy's fragile display against France has opened the door.

“Tommy is playing really well and has forced his way into the team,” said O'Sullivan. “Geordan has sustained a knee injury. It's a nasty knock he suffered on Sunday while playing for Leicester.

“He would have been very doubtful for Scotland but to be up front about it, he would not have made the 22 anyway. Geordan had a difficult match against France. You have to weigh that up against someone like Tommy, who has really been putting his hand up.

“Geordan is an experienced player and has a lot of talent but Tommy has put pressure on me to include him in the team.”

Vice-captain and Munster lock Paul O'Connell features on the bench after recovering from his back injury with Mick O'Driscoll replacing the axed Malcolm O'Kelly in the starting line-up.

O'Driscoll's elevation alongside Munster colleague Donncha O'Callaghan is the second and final change to the side edged 26-21 by France.

“It was a tough call on Malcolm but Mick's form when he came on as a substitute in Paris justifies his inclusion,” said O'Sullivan.

“There is an issue over Paul's match fitness and I wouldn't want him to start a Six Nations game, but I'm happy with what I've seen of him so far.

“The injury is not a problem any more and he has been training very well. He has a load of work under his belt and I'm comfortable with him being on the bench.

“If we need him he can come off the bench and have an impact on the game. Mentally he's jumping out of his socks right now.”

Substitute prop Tony Buckley will undergo a fitness test on his thumb injury later in the week.

Hooker Jerry Flannery is definitely unavailable for a further two weeks after sustaining a hamstring problem.