THE difficulties which arose during the week about the release of some of the English based players for the Ireland training sessions, which began in Limerick yesterday have been resolved.

The players involved in the international against Western Samoa on Tuesday night and the A team to meet the Junior Springboks the same afternoon, all reported for the session yesterday afternoon.

Some of the English clubs wanted their players to assist the clubs in league matches tomorrow and negotiations on the issue took place during the week. However, Ireland manager, Pat Whelan, insisted on the players taking part in the sessions which run in Limerick until Sunday and then the two teams will travel to Dublin on Sunday to complete to the preparations.

Three of the English who wanted their players were Northampton, Saracens and Bristol and they wrote to the IRFU earlier in the week requesting the players' release.

The resolution of the problem was announced yesterday in a statement from IRFU president, Bobby Deacy, who, in the course of his comments, expressed the thanks of the IRFU to the English Rugby Union (RFU) and the English clubs for their co operation and the resolution of the problem.

Meanwhile, the secretary of the RFU, Tony Hallet, also confirmed that the players would be released. The RFU yesterday granted postponements of the league ties between Bristol and Leicester and Harlequins and Saracens scheduled for tomorrow. All four have players involved in the Ireland teams.

The league match between Northampton, who have two players in the Ireland side, Allen Clarke and Jonathan Bell, and Bath will go ahead. Bristol have two Irish players David Corkery and Paul Burke, Saracens three, Paul and Richard Wallace and Paddy Johns, Harlequins one Keith Wood and Leicester one Eric Miller.

"I am pleased to confirm that all the players involved in the international match against Western Samoa have been released by their English clubs," said Deacy. "The various English clubs had been informed by letter from the honorary Ireland manager, Pat Whelan, on 25th September of the relevant assembly date for the Irish players who would be chosen for the squad to play against Western Samoa. Obviously it was not possible make a formal request for each individual player involved until the actual team was chosen.

"The RFU has been particularly supportive of our position throughout our constant communications over the past while. We fully appreciate the sacrifices being made by all to ensure that the strongest and best prepared Irish team takes the field for this very important international. I would like to record the thanks of the IRFU to the clubs involved and the RFU for their understanding and co operation."

Hallett said: "Both unions have, over the past 48 hours, done their best to resolve this issue and keep the English league programme intact. This has not proved possible against the requirements for the Ireland match and preparation for it and the application of the International Rugby Board (IRB) regulations."

The IRB regulations lay down that players must be released for official international squad sessions and A and full internationals. However, what is not specific in those regulations is the exact time frame involved in relation to the release of players. It is an issue that needs to be clarified. Apart from yesterday's postponements the matches between London Irish and Wasps and Rotherham and Newcastle had been postponed earlier.

Whelan said yesterday: "I am very happy that the players have been released as I always believed they should and would be. We can now get on with our preparations. The ongoing issues about release of players is an unwanted distraction. There has not been one occasion this season when we have not had problems about players' release prior to sessions. However, this has now been solved in this instance, and we can concentrate entirely on preparing for the matches.

"I hope this issue will not arise again. But we cannot be certain it will not. It is my intention to bring the players together five day before every match. Training with opposition is what we want, you are fooling yourself when have no opposition in training."

Yesterday the senior pack was opposed by the A team forwards with a strong concentration on scrummaging. The forwards' work was under the supervision of former All Black Mike Brewer. The backs trained separately with a concentration on skills. The sessions will resume this morning.