Angry rugby manager denies drug test claim on player

The Irish rugby team manager has reacted angrily to telephone calls from a British Sunday newspaper the night before Saturday's Five Nations match between Ireland and France in which it was claimed that the Irish out-half, David Humphreys, had tested positive in a post-match drugs test.

Paul Ackford, the former English international second-row forward and rugby correspondent of the Sunday Telegraph, made the calls on Friday evening to both David Humphreys and the Irish team manager, Donal Lenihan, outlining the claims.

Both the player himself and the team manager denied the claims completely. They pointed out that not alone had Humphreys never tested positive, but that he had not been tested since playing his third game for Ireland, against England, at Twickenham three years ago.

"Of course, I'm annoyed that it happened," Mr Lenihan said, "especially as the reporter in question was himself an international. To be ringing a fellow the night before his biggest match wasn't helpful."

He also said that the newspaper's news desk had contacted the Irish team doctor, Donal O'Shaughnessy. Mr Lenihan said he had returned the sports journalist's call and spoken to him on Saturday morning.

David Humphreys himself declined to comment on the matter, and Mr Lenihan was at pains to stress that this eve-of-match development had no bearing on the Irish out-half's performance or on Ireland's 10-9 defeat by France in Saturday's Five Nations match.

In the event, the out-half missed a late penalty which would have won the game for Ireland and, ironically, he was then one of the Irish players chosen by lots for the post-match drugs test.