Galwey back to steady the ship

Warren Gatland announced three changes yesterday to the Ireland squad that lost to Scotland for Saturday week's Six Nations match against Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Mick Galwey's international exile has lasted a single game while Mike Mullins and Eric Miller benefit from injuries to Geordan Murphy and Simon Easterby, respectively.

Galwey's restoration to the national squad - recalled for the 14th time since his international career began - is a populist decision, particularly down Munster way, yet stands as a damning indictment of the team that proved so abject in failure at Murrayfield.

The popular Kerryman, who turns 35 on Monday, is once again hailed as the saviour of Irish rugby, a burden he has been asked to carry too often. Indeed it is a little unsettling. No individual should have to mollycoddle and mother-hen professional sportsmen to a point where they cannot function competently in his absence.

While Galwey's leadership qualities and composure under pressure are well documented, it is about time that those around him took responsibility for the collective good of the team.

Gatland's decision to reinstate Galwey at the expense of Jeremy Davidson could be viewed as a retrograde step in the light of his suggestions that he was looking to the future in dropping the Munster player in the first place. The Irish coach was remarkably candid yesterday: "There are times when you cannot cut off your nose to spite your face. The coach carries a twin responsibility, to get the players to play well now and look ahead to the future.

"Sometimes you have to hold your hand up and say you got it wrong. The leadership wasn't there the last day and if you have somebody who has a positive effect on those around him, someone who helps the key decision makers like nine and 10 to make the right decisions, then it would be wrong not to use them."

Galwey's 14th resurrection should see him move straight into the starting line-up to gain his 34th cap. His ability to alter or consolidate the course of a match when sprung from the bench is negligible when compared to his calming influence in the first 20 minutes and his long arms when the national anthems are being played. Gary Longwell will sit out the first 60 minutes or so.

It took the management team six hours of discussion to make the three changes. The major talking point centred on the merits of Leinster's left wing Gordon D'Arcy and Munster centre Mullins. The latter's greater experience - he has 10 caps - just shaded the issue. Both are playing well at provincial level.

When the team is confirmed next Tuesday, Shane Horgan will probably be on the right wing, Denis Hickie on the left and Kevin Maggs and Brian O'Driscoll in the centre. Those who alighted on Horgan's defensive shortcomings in the centre might have a second look at the video and realise that O'Driscoll was equally if not more culpable.

Eric Miller has been in excellent form for Leinster and given that both Simon Easterby and Alan Quinlan were not considered because of injury, his elevation to the squad is likely to guarantee him a 22nd cap.

Gatland has watched the video several times and spoken to many of the players in trying to fathom just why the team produced such a dismal performance. While pointing out that the Scots defended well and that the Irish decision-making was deeply flawed at times, he was hugely frustrated by the resurfacing of problems he thought had been rectified.

He is cognisant of the media pressure and the calls for his resignation, aware that he has two games to salvage his position. One suspects that the first item on the agenda when the squad meet on Sunday will be a full and frank exchange of views. It is time for the players to stand up and be counted.

IRELAND: G Dempsey (Terenure), D Hickie (St Mary's), S Horgan (Lansdowne), M Mullins (Young Munster), B O'Driscoll (Blackrock), K Maggs (Bath), D Humphreys (Dungannon), R O'Gara (Cork Constitution), P Stringer (Shannon), G Easterby (Llanelli), P Clohessy (Young Munster), E Byrne (St Mary's), J Hayes (Shannon), K Wood (Harlequins), F Sheahan (Cork Constitution), M O'Kelly (St Mary's), M Galwey (Shannon), G Longwell (Ballymena), E Miller (Terenure), D Wallace (Garryowen), K Dawson (London Irish), A Foley (Shannon).