ME AND MY GOOD CHUMS JOHNNY AND EMM...

IT TOOK the dedicated work of 14 department officials, four Dublin Airport Authority staff and the Sports Minister’s own special adviser but eventually they managed to get Shane Ross the photo-up he wanted.

It would have been perfect, if he only asked the two big guys with him what their names were.

As our picture shows, the minister was all smiles with Johnny Sexton and Rob Kearney when they returned after their Grand Slam victory, but that’s not what the minister tweeted, see above.

In the end it was Rob himself who stepped in to deflect the minister from further embarrassment by making light of the whole thing and tweeting back: ‘Thanks Leo.’