The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has admitted it made a mistake in not informing the International Rugby Board (IRB) of Ben Tune's positive drugs test but hopes the ruling body won't take the matter any further.

Upon hearing news of the controversy, the IRB immediately requested that the ARU provide a full chronology of events surrounding the case.

Full disclosure of positive drugs tests by member unions (which includes Australia) is a regulation of the IRB's global monitoring of anti-doping matters.

Tune was prescribed the banned drug probenecid in March 2001 to help recovery from an infected knee.

The Wallaby winger played two Super 12 matches for Queensland and was then withdrawn from four matches when the "doping error" was realised, but the IRB was never told.

ARU chief executive John O'Neill said he hoped the IRB realised Australian officials had not broken any doping laws.

"Did the player test positive to a banned substance? The answer is absolutely `no'," O'Neill said.

"Did Ben Tune play a game of rugby knowing he was taking a banned substance? The answer, I'm pleased to say to that, is also `no'.

"We will be preparing that report for the IRB and we trust, having well and truly, openly and quite unambiguously admitted our error ... that the IRB hopefully will choose to take the matter no further."

Tune was named in an unchanged Wallaby squad for Saturday night's Tri-Nations clash with a restless Springbok squad at the Gabba.

Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli wants every player drug-tested before the match but O'Neill has brushed off the request.

"The ARU's record on anti-doping is second to none," O'Neill said.

"We greatly regret these circumstances regarding Ben Tune but it isn't helped when the situation gets inflamed by comments such as the ones that the Springbok coach made ... as if there is some epidemic and some problem of mammoth proportions.

"It completely blows it out of context and is quite unnecessary."

O'Neill said the ARU tried to protect Tune's best interests and "the player did suffer the penalty of missing four matches, plus the mental and emotional turmoil".