Tom Tierney, the Garryowen, Munster and Irish under-21 scrum-half, has been reprimanded by the IRFU for the use of the prohibited substance ephedrine, which he was found to have taken when tested after the France v Ireland under-21 international on March 6th. However, the player has escaped any suspension.

Meanwhile, in the other instance outstanding involving an Irish player for whom there were adverse findings in a test conducted by the UK Sports Council following a Five Nations match last year, no sanction was imposed after the independent drugs tribunal ruled that there was no case to answer.

A third case, believed to involve an Ulster player, had already been dealt with last year by an IRFU tribunal, and again no sanction was imposed, nor any details of the case ever publicised.

The independent drugs tribunal, which consists of a former chief justice, Mr Justice Tom Finlay, Dr Tony O'Neill and Dr Brendan Buckley, found that Tierney had unintentionally taken the prohibited substance, and accordingly recommended to the IRFU that he be reprimanded.

This is in keeping with the two other cases reported in the UK Sports Council's annual report involving players who tested positive for ephedrine. Both players were English and both were reprimanded.

The outcome, only finalised on Tuesday, will have come as a huge relief to Tierney, given the case had run for eight months, apparently because of the legal challenges put forward by the solicitors acting on his behalf.

Tierney could scarcely conceal his delight last night. "I'm over the moon that it worked out the way it did. It's in the past now and that's where I want it to be. I'm just looking forward to playing my rugby again and progressing up the representative ladder."

Tierney admitted that the strain of the last eight months had been weighing heavily on him. "It's like a weight has just suddenly been lifted off me, and I'd like to thank the IRFU for keeping the matter confidential until now."

His club coach at Garryowen last season, Philip Danaher, said: "He's learnt his lesson and it's acknowledged on both sides whatever happened was not intentional. He's just delighted to be able to get on with his career."

The timing of the case was decidedly unfortunate for Tierney, not only that it came in the midst of a drugs saga prompted by revelations from former Irish international Neil Francis of drug-taking in Irish rugby, but also at a point when the 21-year-old was on the verge of breaking into the Irish squad for the tour to South Africa.

Tierney's career has not been typical of the route from schools through to senior club. A more than useful hurler and footballer, who had trials with Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town, Tierney instead cut his teeth with Richmond, who were then a junior club. He played for three years on the Irish Youths side, captaining them when he was 18, and then joined Garryowen.

Meanwhile, the second case, involving a Five Nations player who was almost certainly tested after one of last season's games against Scotland or Wales in Lansdowne Road, had caused some resentment with those who had knowledge of it; not least in the manner it belatedly came to light via the UK Sports Council last month.

It is believed that the player was taking prescribed medication, and that, as he had declared the substance, the case should never have become public the way it did, thereby causing him unnecessary worry.

The independent tribunal took the same view, so much so that they deemed it was not even worthy of a hearing. Hence, the IRFU are taking the view that the player's identity should not be divulged, although it is believed he will be playing against Romania tomorrow. They would not divulge what the prohibited substance was.

On hearing of the IRFU statement yesterday, Francis commented: "There's a lesson to be learned for everybody." But he added: "I would have expected a statement to say `We have instigated a whole new set of procedures and we are now confident that if somebody takes drugs at whatever level, be it AIL or junior level, interpros or internationals, then we have the procedures in place to identify anybody who tries to cheat'. "I would still hope of some kind of statement outlining new procedures comes before the AIL commences in December, in line with the Irish Sports Council's drug-testing procedures which will come into operation in January."

An International Board spokesman said they would await a report of the findings, "but once everything has been conducted in accordance with the procedures, then that's the end of the matter".