As Johnny Sexton hit the deck in the latter stages of the game, Irish fans fears rose that Ireland's general had suffered yet another head injury.
However, Joe Schmidt has alleviated the worry surrounding the Leinster man stating that he was just feeling the effects of facing a physically brutal Welsh side.
The outlook isn't so bright for Tommy O'Donnell or Keith Earls though, as both had to undergo the HIA test after being withdrawn from the game will now face return to play protocols.
“Johnny is fine, just a bit bruised, Keith Earls may have suffered a concussion; we just have to follow that up.
"Tommy O'Donnell passed his HIA with no ill effects. He could have returned to the pitch but Rhys Ruddock was already on the pitch and doing well.
In regards to Earls, the Irish head coach said he had 'probably suffered a concussion', but at this stage he can't confirm it, adding
"He passed his HIA but he staggered... that would leave him doubt for next week."
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another Huge Tackle From Keith Earls<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SixNations?src=hash">#SixNations</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IREvWAL?src=hash">#IREvWAL</a> <a href="https://t.co/ylUHFLYwio">pic.twitter.com/ylUHFLYwio</a></p>— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) <a href="https://twitter.com/ultimaterugby/status/696366529693102080">February 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The return to play protocols dictate that neither player will be able to take part in any contact training following their head assessments.
In better news, Schmidt feels confident he will have Rob Kearney and Sean O'Brien both available for Saturday's crunch clash with France.
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