RUGBY:Further evidence that Eddie O'Sullivan is giving in to pressure, be it from public, pundits or whatever, came yesterday with the relatively surprising selection of Tommy Bowe on the right wing; the surprise being Shane Horgan thus remains on the bench, now the customary scapegoat Geordan Murphy has been jettisoned yet again.

The one other change to the starting line-up for Saturday's RBS Six Nations game against Scotland in Croke Park sees the in-form Mick O'Driscoll edge out Malcolm O'Kelly, who loses out altogether as Paul O'Connell returns to the squad as a replacement. There remain a couple of doubts, notably one concerning Brian O'Driscoll, whose calf tightened up at the end of yesterday morning's session.

"We expect him to be fine," said O'Sullivan of his skipper, though Luke Fitzgerald has been moved from A duty to provide cover, with Horgan earmarked for the midfield.

Similarly, Bryan Young will remain with the senior squad rather than play for the As pending a fitness test later in the week on Tony Buckley's bruised finger.

Murphy has been unable to train with a knee injury which would have made him doubtful for Saturday's game, according to O'Sullivan, "but to be honest and up front about it, he didn't make the 22."

O'Sullivan said he had to weigh Murphy's "reasonably good game against Italy" and "a difficult game against France" with Bowe's recent form which, admittedly, has been consistently good for both Ulster and Ireland A, when his running lines and elusiveness illuminated an otherwise grim night in Leicester against the England Saxons.

Strictly on recent form as right-wingers, Bowe's inclusion is justified, but no Murphy in the 22? Ireland must have an embarrassment of riches. What a waste of an exceptional talent.

"He wasn't particularly happy with his own game in Paris," said O'Sullivan. "He went out and gave it his best shot but it didn't work out for him and I've got to take cognisance of that and make a selection decision which is tough but Geordan has bounced back before and that's the test for him again. There are tests within tests for players here at the end of the day."

Indeed, so much bouncing has been required of him that Murphy must feel like a trampoline artist. This is Ireland's 17th Test since Murphy was a try-scoring fullback in the autumnal win over Australia in '06, and this is the sixth time he has been omitted from the 22. He's been on the bench four times, has played right wing four times and only three times has he started at fullback.

After one of those - a personally haunting return to Murrayfield for a World Cup warm-up match last August - even the coach admitted Murphy was Ireland's best player.

Whether Murphy will ever be seen at his best again for Ireland, especially under O'Sullivan, remains to be seen but one hopes being sent back to Leicester will not be the equivalent of Test purgatory.

There'll be those who'll also wonder if, after a record 91 Tests for Ireland, the 33-year-old O'Kelly has played his last match for Ireland, but of course rumours of his demise have proved premature many times before. Needless to say, O'Sullivan sought to keep an olive branch extended for the Leinster lock. "I think there was a feeling about Mal he would disappear and ride off into the sunset after the World Cup but he came back and his form for Leinster was outstanding before Christmas and consequently forced his way into the team.

"The short answer is I wouldn't write Mal off. I think Mal is still alive and kicking, and no better man than Mal to prove people wrong," said O'Sullivan.

Rejecting any idea that O'Kelly has had a dip in form, O'Sullivan attributed Mick O'Driscoll's promotion to his impressive impact off the bench in Paris. While conceding "there's an issue about match fitness" with regard to O'Connell after playing almost two halves for Munster A and Munster in the last two weeks, O'Sullivan said: "It really wasn't a runner to put Paul in for the start of a Six Nations match but I'm happy with what I've seen and where he is. The injury isn't an issue any more, that's the main thing. He's training very well and has a ton of work under his belt."

In retaining faith in Bernard Jackman, and omitting O'Kelly, O'Sullivan has taken a relative gamble with his lineout, which may partly explain why Simon Easterby, something of a good luck charm for O'Sullivan, was again preferred to say Alan Quinlan or Neil Best on the bench.

Even so, the Irish coach's argument was less than compelling. "Simon's experience is a big factor, his ability to come into the game and make good decisions, and the fact that he's a lineout option as well edges him ahead."

Not only is Quinlan Munster's main defensive lineout weapon and more likely to provide some ballast off the bench, but he provides further cover as a lock if, for any reason, O'Connell is brought on sooner than ideally required.

In making eight changes to the Irish As for only their second of two fixtures this season, against Scotland in Perth on Friday, O'Sullivan said: "I feel the A team is a very important vehicle for development . . . with one eye on the Churchill Cup."

As an example, Niall O'Connor "edged out Andy Dunne over the weekend" on the strength of his performance for Ulster against the Dragons.

Mike Ross, regularly starting at tighthead for Harlequins, receives an overdue call-up to the bench but the likes of Frank Murphy and Brian O'Riordan remain exiled in every sense.

IRELAND A (v Scotland, Perth, Friday: D Riordan (Connacht); I Dowling (Munster), K Lewis (Leinster), G Duffy (Connacht), G Brown (Leinster); N O'Connor (Ulster), I Boss (Ulster, capt); C Healy (Leinster), F Sheahan (Munster), D Fitzpatrick (Ulster), T Hogan (Leinster), R Caldwell (Ulster), S Keogh (Leinster), N Ronan (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster). Replacements: A Flavin/John Fogarty, M Ross (Harlequins), D Ryan (Munster), D Pollock (Ulster), C Keane (Leinster), A Dunne (Leinster), K Earls (Munster).