Irish coach Eddie O’Sullivan and his Rugby World Cup squad have again come under heavy criticism for their dismal showing in France, this time from former England hooker Brian Moore.

Moore has labeled the decision to hand O’Sullivan a four-year contract before the tournament as “madness”, but also heaped blame on the players for their debacle of a performance in France.

“The awarding of a four-year contract to Eddie O’Sullivan before a ball had been kicked was madness,” Moore wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

“But in the end, the players have to hold their hands up and face the unpalatable, but ultimately irrefutable, truth that they did not step up to the plate when it mattered most.”

Moore said the performance of the Irish provinces in the opening round of the Heineken Cup was in total contrast to the national team’s displays in France. Leinster, featuring Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy, managed a brilliant victory over Leicester, while Munster was just pipped by defending champions Wasps.

“What would all Irish rugby supporters have given for a modicum of the passion, flair and doggedness shown by their countrymen representing the provinces at the weekend in the Heineken Cup?” Moore asked.

“It is scarcely believable that the very same men contrived not only to under-achieve several weeks ago in the Rugby World Cup, but to do so in such abject fashion.”

Moore said the IRFU’s review into the the World Cup will be useless unless it can “include individual scrutiny of each player’s contribution to the debacle”.

“When strong rumours persist about players being hauled out of taxis to prevent them leaving, fights on planes and the like, you know something fundamental has gone wrong,” Moore claimed.

“Will the reviewers have the courage, or even the mandate to investigate these delicate issues? Unless they do, Ireland cannot take steps to remedy the real cause of under-performance.