ALAN Sharp seems to have become highly valued by Scotland's rugby
selectors, who are trying to ensure that the Bristol prop is fit to be
considered for a postponed international debut against France two weeks
on Saturday in Paris.
Sharp has been installed in a Richmond hotel this week at the Scottish
Rugby Union's expense so that he can have regular treatment in a
hyperbaric oxygen machine at the London Scottish ground.
It is a measure of how much the selectors want him at loose head in
place of Alan Watt, the Glasgow High/Kelvinside forward who deputised
for Sharp in the 15-3 win against Ireland on Saturday at Murrayfield.
Their hope is that the high-pressure oxygen treatment can accelerate the
healing of the stress fracture that prevented the 23-year-old from
winning his first cap on Saturday. Rob Wainwright, Edinburgh
Academicals' international No.8, also has been in the machine this week
to help his damaged Achilles tendon after an operation last month.
Such a machine, which looks like the cockpit of a fighter aircraft, is
normally used for decompression of deep-sea divers, though it is not new
to rugby. One was utilised during the World Cup in October, 1991, when
Craig Chalmers and Sean Lineen had treatment in the week after they had
been injured against Ireland.
Chalmers recovered in time to play in the quarter-final against
Western Samoa, though Lineen did not make it.
Sharp was injured while he was playing for the Exiles against North
and Midlands in the final match of the district championship last month,
and for the five subsequent weeks, he was believed to have a severely
bruised leg. He even played through the national trial at Murrayfield
three weeks ago, and though he struggled while running, he subsequently
passed a searching examination in scrummaging with Scotland's pack last
Wednesday.
The following morning, however, he had to withdraw from the team.
Afterwards, a bone scan showed the fracture to the neck of his left
fibula. London Scottish have the machine on loan, and Fulton Paterson,
the Exiles' secretary, said yesterday that it had proved invaluable.
Two other Scots, Carl Hogg and Gregor Townsend, seem certain to be fit
to be considered for the Paris international after ligament injuries had
ruled them out of contention for the match against Ireland. Both took
part in the Scottish sevens squad's Murrayfield practice last night, and
they are listed to come back on Saturday -- Hogg for Melrose against
Selkirk at the Greenyards, and the uncapped Townsend at stand-off for
Gala at Kelso.
Last night's work was cut to only 40 minutes because of hail, sleet,
thunder, and lightning.
It was hampered, too, by the absence of four of Scotland's winning XV
from the international against Ireland on Saturday. Hogg's Melrose
colleague, Craig Chalmers, Scotland's stand-off, was again troubled by
the shin injury that prevented him from playing in the club championship
match against GHK a week past Saturday, and his half-back partner, Gary
Armstrong, had a strained muscle in his rear, whereas two back-row
forwards, Iain Morrison and Derek Turnbull, were unavailable because of
other commitments.
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