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.