O'Sullivan Reluctant to Embrace Murphy's Law of Luck and Inspiration

Across Dublin the building site that is Lansdowne Road is being transformed into a stadium suitable for international rugby in the 21st century while Eddie O'Sullivan's side are at last emerging from the rubble of a doleful World Cup campaign. A triple crown and, more important, the championship itself could be up for grabs when Ireland travel to Twickenham next month.

This evening encounter under the Croke Park floodlights was illuminating for Ireland, and Wales' grand slam seekers will travel to Dublin with some trepidation next week. Ireland won comfortably, outscoring Scotland by five tries to one, and a series of happy accidents is helping transform O'Sullivan's side from the team that struggled to subdue Italy here on the opening weekend of the tournament. During that game Brian O'Driscoll's center partner, Gordon D'Arcy, saw his Six Nations season end after breaking his arm.

But Andrew Trimble's switch to center and Geordan Murphy's move back to his favourite full-back position on the eve of this match after Girvan Dempsey failed a fitness test have paid dividends. The Ulsterman Trimble was arguably the man of the match on Saturday, an award actually given to Murphy, who four days earlier had been left out of the squad altogether.

Murphy's bittersweet week had begun with him struggling with fluid on his left knee and returning to Leicester for treatment after being left out of the Ireland squad. His aim was to be fit to play for the Tigers against Sale on Saturday. He then flew back to Dublin on Thursday after Dempsey had become a doubt.

"Yes, it's been a bit of a roller coaster week and I was delighted to be back in the side," he said. "I didn't play a perfect game. When I do that I'll retire but I do prefer to play full-back. I don't want to sound ungrateful because I would play at prop if Ireland picked me there but full-back has been my club position for years."

O'Sullivan, who gave Murphy a single start during the World Cup, had picked him on the wing in this Six Nations and in the bowels of Croke Park on Saturday night he was still damning the Leicester player with faint praise. "I know Geordan's preference is full-back but it's up to me to work out the dynamics of the back three and I don't want to pigeon-hole players," he said. "Girvan Dempsey has been outstanding for us. He is much maligned but scores some important tries. He has been unlucky this week, watching a guy come in and play well in his place. But this all reflects the competition that exists in the squad."

Murphy grabbed his chance with both hands. He was ice cool under the high ball, his signature moment coming midway through the first half when he gathered a clearance, apparently hemmed in by the touchline. He shrugged off Nikki Walker's tackle and set up a thrilling counter-attack which saw Ronan O'Gara feeding O'Driscoll, whose long pass enabled Rob Kearney to dive over in the corner for the best try of the night.

If O'Sullivan has a selection headache, though, it is nothing compared with the problems of Frank Hadden, the Scotland coach presiding over three defeats and having to watch as his replacement lock, Jim Hamilton, was carried off with a badly sprained ankle after ending up in a heap at a line out. At least Simon Webster ended Scotland's try drought, the orange-booted center crossing Ireland's line after 212 minutes of what is turning out to be a painful tournament all-round.

Ireland Murphy (Leicester); Bowe (Ulster), B O'Driscoll (capt, Leinster; Horgan, Leinster, 69), Trimble (Ulster), Kearney (Leinster); O'Gara (Munster; P Wallace, Ulster, 76); Reddan (Wasps; Stringer, Munster, 71); Horan (Munster), Jackman (Leinster; R Best, Ulster, 44), Hayes (Munster; Buckley, Munster, 73), O'Callaghan (Munster), M O'Driscoll (Munster; O'Connell, Munster, 55), Leamy (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), Heaslip (Leinster; Easterby, Leinster, 69).

Tries D Wallace, Kearney, Horan, Bowe 2 Cons O'Gara 3

Pen O'Gara.

Scotland Southwell (Edinburgh; Parks, Glasgow, 66); Lamont (Sale), Webster (Edinburgh), Henderson (Glasgow; De Luca, Edinburgh, 69), Walker (Ospreys); Paterson (Gloucester), Blair (capt, Edinburgh; Cusiter, Perpignan, 71); Jacobsen (Edinburgh; Kerr, Edinburgh, 71), Ford (Edinburgh; Thomson, Glasgow, 69), Murray (Northampton; Ford, 75), Hines (Perpignan; Hamilton, Leicester, 64), MacLeod (Llanelli Scarlets), Strokosch (Gloucester), Hogg (Edinburgh), Brown (Glasgow; Rennie, Edinburgh, 45).

Try Webster Con Paterson Pens Paterson 2.

Referee C Berdos (France). Attendance 74,234.