Ireland survived the loss of captain Paul OConnell and flyhalf Johnny Sexton to run out 24-9 winners over France and set up a Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina after a brutal Pool D decider on 11 October.
Second-half tries from fullback Rob Kearney and scrumhalf Conor Murray gave the Six Nations champions a victory they fully deserved and sent the French into a last eight clash with reigning champions New Zealand back in Cardiff next weekend.
The Irish will also return to the Welsh capital to face the Pumas on 18 October, but could be without OConnell and Sexton, who both left the pitch through injury before halftime, as well as flanker Peter OMahony, who was injured after the break.
Im incredibly proud of the performance, said Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, who conceded that OConnells World Cup is probably over.
It was a battle that was attritional but a battle that showed a fair bit of character in the side. The challenge grew in complication when we lost Johnny Sexton, Paul OConnell and Peter OMahony.
Schmidt also commented on the injuries to some of his key players, No, Paul wasnt in at half-time at all really and neither was Jonny. They werent in the dressing room at the time, but the update I can give you is that it doesnt look great with Paul, it looks like an upper hamstring, but were probably going to have wait until to tomorrow to get that scan just to make sure that the inflammation has decreased just a little bit. Johnny - it looked like an abductor to me, but thats not the learned eye of a medic. Were probably going to get Johnny scanned tomorrow and Peter OMahony as well.
The roof of the Millennium Stadium was closed but the green-clad fans in the crowd of 72,163 nearly took it off with a passionate rendition of Irelands Call and the Irish players responded by tearing into the early exchanges.
