It seems the pair turned up late for a training session while in Lanzarote and are now not required to attend the session which is likely to take place in Dublin. Both players and the rest of the squad were quite bemused by the entire incident and particularly by the line taken by coach Eddie O'Sullivan.

The general feeling was that the incident certainly deserved sanction but hardly to the extreme that O'Sullivan has taken it.

Thirty-two players have been invited to take part in an Ireland team pre-RBS Six Nations mini training camp at Citywest on December 29 and 30.

Pre-6 Nations Mini Camp Squad:

Forwards (17):

Hooker: Shane Byrne, Bernard Jackman, Frank Sheahan.

Props: Simon Best, Emmet Byrne, Reggie Corrigan, John Hayes, Marcus Horan, Emmet Byrne

Lock: Donncha O Callaghan, Paul O Connell, Gary Longwell

Back Row: Victor Costello, Simon Easterby, Anthony Foley, Keith Gleeson, Eric Miller, David Wallace

Backs (15):

Scrum-Half: Neil Doak, Guy Easterby, Peter Stringer

Out Half: Ronan O Gara, David Humphreys, and Paddy Wallace

Centre: John Kelly, Rob Henderson, Kevin Maggs, Brian O Driscoll.

Wing: Gordon Darcy, Shane Horgan, Tyrone Howe.

Full Back: Girvan Dempsey, Jeremy Staunton.