That hastily arranged, Good Friday match between Munster and the rest of Ireland - in part European Cup warm-up, in part final Lions trial - sure did for Denis Hickie alright. As it transpired, though, it ultimately helped the 30-yearold Tyrone Howe to complete an unlikely, near fairytale climb from English National League Four South to British and Irish Lion in just over two years.

In the heel of the hunt, Hickie is desperately unlucky. Worse wingers have made Lions tours - including this one. But whereas Hickie undid his scintillating autumnal form by seemingly avoiding physical contact and failing to have a go in Thomond Park, Howe continued on his merry, self-confident way.

Oh to have been a fly on the wall for whatever was said in the build-up to that game, during it and afterwards, between Hickie and both the Irish and Lions managements. Hickie either played under more pressure than Howe or failed to respond to the same pressure (methinks the former) and it's doubtful Graham Henry - who admittedly liked the look of Howe from the first time he saw him - made the decision all by himself.

After confirming that Howe had been called up in place of the injured Dan Luger, Donal Lenihan also revealed that Howe had been the only winger on standby.

"Denis and Tyrone are two guys who were very close to selection in the first place but Tyrone was first choice on standby. We'll have to put somebody else on standby now, so it's probable that he will be." Thus, whether it had been an outand-out left-winger such as Luger per se, or one of the converted right wingers who was injured, Howe was still the only winger on standby. In other words, a fifth left winger on standby for the four selected in the original squad.

Whilst Howe's graph has risen, Hickie's self-confidence has probably taken a bit of a pummelling, to the point where right now selecting Howe might even be the better option. However, the circumstances which led to a scenario whereby Hickie isn't ranked amongst the top five wingers in the home unions - having looked arguably one of the two best along with Luger last autumn and certainly the best right-wing option - are another matter. And they're sure to provoke intense debate in Irish rugby circles.

"I don't want to get into the specifics of it," said Lenihan of Howe being selected ahead of Hickie, "but Tyrone impressed in all the games that he was watched in this year, and in terms of his overall performances he was ranked next in the list. Denis was unlucky in that he missed out on a lot of games since November and unfortunately when he came back from injury didn't play up to the standard that he had done prior to the injury. Given Tyrone was always on standby there's no reason to change the view that we had two months ago."

But between the Lions and Irish management and coaching staffs, I think Hickie has been treated badly and judged very harshly on one game. It's as if it was a return to his nadir of South Africa three summers ago.

Hickie had rebuilt his game, as well as his jaw, since that tour, and given the right coaching and management before and during the tour, could surely have been a better weapon that Dafydd James or Ben Cohen at least, but then again that also applies to Howe.

An Oxford Blue in 1995 and 1996, he began resurrecting his game in the lower echelons of English club rugby with Newbury after being involved in a career-threatening car crash, before taking up a provincial contract at Ulster two summers ago, after they had won the European Cup.

Though his has been more of a delayed, tradesman's entrance, this past season at any rate Howe has consistently defied his doubters by hardly putting a foot wrong. For Ulster and Ireland he has been playing the game at a high tempo and with a huge heart. What's more he maintained his form, jinking through for a try in the Good Friday game which could have been Hickie at his best. Indeed the styles of their respective clubs must have played at least a small part here, for in stark contrast to Hickie at St Mary's, Howe has maintained a prolific vein of form for a free-scoring Dungannon side.

Howe replaces the desperately unfortunate Luger, whose tour was cruelly cut short after a collision of heads at training on Wednesday. Though he felt fine first thing on Thursday, and the initial prognosis was that Luger would be available for the second Test in a fortnight's time, a secondary examination revealed a second fracture in his lower right eye socket.

Luger is the fourth casualty of the tour, joining Simon Taylor, Phil Greening and Mike Catt, and like the latter two was injured on the training ground. However, in pointing out that Greening's injury was a "freak" accident arising from a one-on-one tackle and someone falling on top of him, and that Catt's happened during kicking practice, Lenihan ventured: "I don't think any of the injuries you could put down to over-physical training."

Howe was tracked down in London and was due to fly out from Belfast last night before arriving in Sydney tomorrow morning local time. Whether Howe takes part in next Tuesday's game against New South Wales has not yet been discussed by the management.

The left-wing spot has now being throw open, especially as Jason Robinson has largely been seen as more of an impact player off the bench, and Lenihan admitted: "Saturday and Tuesday are now going to be hugely important for players vying for that position."