O'Driscoll to undergo fitness test

Brian O'Driscoll's involvement in Saturday's Six Nations meeting with Scotland at Croke Park will be determined at a fitness test tomorrow.

The Ireland skipper suffered a tight calf during training earlier in the week and was rated a slight doubt for the meeting with Frank Hadden's bottom of the table side.

The 29-year-old completed a fitness session today and showed no reaction to the problem, but Ireland must wait until tomorrow for an update on his availability.

Girvan Dempsey has joined O'Driscoll in the treatment room, after taking a knock to his left hip in training. Leicester's Geordan Murphy, initially dropped from the 22 following a poor display in the 26-21 defeat by France, is on stand-by.

Dempsey will also undergo a fitness test tomorrow - with Murphy, who had been selected for Saturday's clash against Sale, ready to slot in at full-back if he fails to get the green light.

Tony Buckley's place on the bench has been confirmed after the giant Munster prop passed a fitness test on his thumb injury today.

Earlier in the week, O'Driscoll had indicated he was looking forward to the clash as he continues to emerge from his post-World Cup slump.

The loss of Gordon D'Arcy to a broken arm and Shane Horgan's confinement to the bench after recovering from a rib problem has left O'Driscoll as the backs' main ball carrier.

And, if he is fit, the Leinster centre will shoulder the responsibility by spearheading the assault on the Scots.

"We've lost Gordon and Shane so I want to get the ball into my hands a little bit more than I have done so far," he said. "I don't want to be running decoy lines all day. I want to try to create something. Getting my involvement in the game up is something I've consciously thought about. I also want to improve my contact levels."

The increasing amount of technical analysis that goes into a game has affected O'Driscoll more than most, but he knows the limitations placed on himself create openings elsewhere.

"I made 15 tackles against France and I carried more than any other back other than Ronan O'Gara," he said. "This game isn't about stats, but it's nice to be able to check up on what you are achieving.

"There hasn't been a huge amount of room for me. People have been stopping a huge amount of what I'm trying to do. But if that's happening there has to be space in other areas and it's about exploiting that space.

"It's about being patient and waiting for opportunities. You can't force the issue. Gone are the days when you're going to get a free reign.

"When you've played nine seasons you're more of a known quantity and people are going to keep an eye on you. The preparation to meet individual players is huge these days. It's much tougher to break down those defences, to make those long runs.

"It's just about staying patient and being in control."