IRELAND tight-head prop Peter Clohessy was yesterday ruled out of the Lions squad to tour South Africa when he failed to come through a training session at the London Irish ground, Sunbury. Clohessy's place in the squad will be taken by 25-year-old Ireland and Saracens prop Paul Wallace.

Wallace was due to travel to New Zealand tomorrow with the Ireland Development squad. They are preparing in Limerick for the tour. However, Wallace got the news yesterday afternoon that he will instead be going to South Africa with the Lions. Wallace's place in the Ireland squad will be taken by Justin Fitzpatrick, the 23-year-old London Irish prop, who is uncapped.

"I am absolutely devastated," said Clohessy after he was ruled out on medical grounds because of a back injury that has troubled him for the past three weeks. With the Lions squad due to leave for South Africa on Saturday, time was not on Clohessy's side. "I started the training session, but knew that I was just not right and reported the problem.

In 1983, another Ireland player, Donal Lenihan, was ruled out of the Lions squad to tour New Zealand on the eve of the tour because of a hernia.

Clohessy, who went to play for Queensland last January, sustained the injury three weeks ago in a training session before Queensland's match against New South Wales. He has not played since and Queensland allowed him to travel back to Ireland last week to join the Lions squad on Monday night.

Initially, it had been planned that he would travel directly from Australia to South Africa but because he was unable to play, Queensland allowed him to return earlier than anticipated.

"The injury had shown tremendous improvement over the last few weeks and especially over the last week and I was very confident I would have no problem," said Clohessy.

The back injury also caused a problem with one of Clohessy's legs, a knock-on effect, so to speak, but it was the back problem which has cost him the tour. Clohessy last played for Ireland against France in 1996 and was suspended after that match for a stamping incident.

His form with Queensland was monitored by the Lions management and his selection was not a surprise. It is unfortunate for Clohessy, as durable and brave a prop as there is in the game.

Lions manager Fran Cotton, himself a former Lions prop, believed that Clohessy has the quality to make a major contribution to the Lions. The Lions tour would have given Clohessy a tremendous opportunity to prove that he still has much to give in the international arena.

Although he was released early from his contract with Queensland, there is a proviso in it that if he did not make the Lions tour, he would be expected to serve out the rest of the season with Queensland.

In these circumstances, I may now have to return to Queensland until the end of their season," said Clohessy, who flew to his home in Limerick last night from the Lions base in Weybridge, Surrey.

For Wallace, it is a dream come true. "It is the ambition of every player from these islands to play for the Lions," said Wallace when he was in contention. He had expressed his disappointment when he failed to make the original squad.

Wallace reported to the Lions' hotel last night and by pure coincidence met Clohessy at Heathrow airport - Wallace was on his way in, Clohessy on his way out. Wallace said: "Obviously I'm delighted to get in and I suppose the fact that it was unexpected adds to my sense of pleasure. I fell very sorry for Peter. It's hard enough to get into a Lions squad, but having got in and then having to pull out is really tough. It's up to me now to make the very best of the unexpected opportunity I have been given. I was due to go with the Ireland Development team to New Zealand and as the lads said to me when I was leaving Limerick "that must be the quickest Development in history after only reporting on Monday to the Development party."

His selection completes a great family double. His older brother, Richard, played for the Lions on the 1993 tour to New Zealand.

Paul and Richard Wallace are the first pair of brothers from Ireland to play for the Lions since 1903 when, remarkably, two other brothers named Wallace - Joseph and Jim - toured South Africa.