Former Munster and Ireland out-half Ronan O'Gara warns his old province it must get its forthcoming Director of Rugby appointment right.

In a brutally honest assessment of Munster rugby in his column in tomorrow's Irish Examiner, O'Gara insists the province must secure a world-class figure to work in tandem with head coach Anthony Foley.

"Munster must go for the best in the world, someone who will set cutting-edge standards. They must get this right," O'Gara writes.

"In confirming they are hiring a Director of Rugby for the first time, Munster are making a statement on their future as much as an admission of failings in the past.

“The appointment is absolutely critical to get right. There’s only one go at this. You mess with the foundations and the whole thing collapses in on itself.

“The appointment will be responsible for pulling together all the layers and strands of Munster Rugby — on and off the pitch — for the future.”

O'Gara insists the province isn't yet in a crisis situation, but warns that standards cannot be let slip any further.

"The culture remains but the standards and some values have slipped.

"You have some lads in Munster now who wouldn’t be getting games in other provinces.

"Some of them still believe it to be a huge honour playing for Munster. Not all of them, mind.

"Munster need four or five players if they are serious, because the benchmark is still winning in Europe — not getting out of their pool."

Read Ronan O'Gara's exclusive column in tomorrow's Examiner Sport.