Ever since the draw for the Rugby World Cup pool stage was made at the end of 2012, yesterday's France game has been at the back of fans, players and management's minds - ultimately and rightly seen as the match that could decide how far Ireland could get in this year's tournament.
By beating France comprehensively, the All-Black threat recedes into the distance, but Joe Schmidt will still have to plan for a quarter-final clash next weekend against an impressive Argentina side.
Peter O'Mahony has already had to withdraw from the tournament through injury, captain and leader Paul O'Connell injuries risks being tournament-ending (which is yet to be confirmed) and doubts remain over Jonny Sexton after he had to be substituted.
Sean O'Brien's punch on Pascal Pape during yesterday's win also means he is likely to miss out if he is cited by the commissioner and he would be a huge loss.
As the stats show, the Leinster flanker has the most carries for Ireland at this World Cup with 49 runs made, which puts him amongst the Top 5 players in that category at this year's tournament.
He is also ranked second overall at the World Cup for the number of carries over the gain-line with 29. The Tullow Tank is also Ireland's leading player when it comes to turnovers won with a total of five.
The loss of O'Connell's inspirational leadership and O'Mahony's tenacity at the breakdown will be felt, but the silver lining is that the replacements have the ability to hold their own.
Ahead of the tournament, Off The Ball's Cian Murtagh highlighted some of the excellent attributes the versatile Iain Henderson brings to the table, and the Ulster man was hugely impressive when he came on as a second row substitute yesterday, earning a 9 out of 10 in the ratings.
Only O'Brien and Keith Earls have made more carries over the gain-line than him, with Henderson managing 18 which puts him amongst the Top 20 players at the tournament so far. He is a certain starter now with the option of playing as a flanker or in the second row, depending on the number of gaps that will need to be filled before the Argentina game.
As a leading option as a flanker, Chris Henry (2) has also made almost as many lineout steals as O'Mahony and is Ireland's second most prolific player so far for turnovers won (4).
It is a case of the walking wounded, but fortunately there are players to step in who can more than holder their own.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
