France are back in their familiar state of mutiny after coach Marc Lievremont described his players as ‘selfish, spoiled brats’ for going out to celebrate their semi-final victory over Wales in the bars of Auckland.

A number of senior players ignored a direct order from the coach and hit the town for a few hours before returning to the team hotel after midnight. After two weeks of entente cordiale, the dysfunctional French squad are  at loggerheads once again.

The coach summoned his players to an early morning meeting and told them exactly what he thought of such petulant behaviour.

Anger: France coach Marc Lievremont speaks to the media on Sunday

Lievremont said: ‘I went to bed in a bad mood because I’d asked the players not to go out and I found out a few of them had gone out.

‘I told them what I thought of them - that they’re a bunch of undisciplined, spoiled brats, disobedient, sometimes selfish, always complaining, always whining and they’ve been at me for four years.

‘It seems to be our way of functioning. I also told them I have a  lot of affection for them, but it’s a shame they don’t know how to look after themselves.’

Lievremont was himself a player the last time France reached a World Cup final in 1999. The team famously spent most of the week celebrating their sensational 43-31 comeback semi-final victory over New Zealand and never really turned up for the final against Australia.

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