Jerry Flannery yesterday backed under-fire coach Eddie O'Sullivan by blaming the players for Ireland's abysmal World Cup and crushed speculation over unrest in the camp.

Ireland's group campaign is in danger of limping to a pitiful conclusion against Argentina on Sunday with the permutations required to progress to the quarter-finals looking way beyond them.

The astonishing and inexplicable decline of a team that had pretensions of reaching the semi-finals has cranked up the pressure on O'Sullivan.

Just last month he was celebrating a four-year contract extension, but the pre-tournament timing of the new deal has provided his growing band of critics with more ammunition.

However, Flannery is convinced the players are responsible for Ireland's remarkable descent from Six Nations runners-up to World Cup laughing stock.

''The criticism of Eddie is very unfair. I don't see how he can be singled out so much,'' said the Munster hooker.

''Eddie isn't coaching us to drop the ball. If we go out and drop the ball it's our fault. It's the same in any rugby side.

''A coach prepares the team as best he can and then they go out on the field and do it. We're not performing on the field so the buck stops with us.''

Ireland's tournament has been undermined by a breathtaking array of rumours, many bordering on the absurd.

The greatest controversy has surrounded Ronan O'Gara, who rejected allegations of marital and gambling problems in the aftermath of Friday's 25-3 defeat by France.

Other tales include Geordan Murphy returning home in anger at the decision to omit him from the bench for France.

Speculation over rifts, in-house fighting and simmering tension has also intensified, but Flannery gave such talk short shrift.

''To say the mood is disillusionment is wrong. We're not where we want to be at the moment so people are disappointed,'' he said.