Ireland completed their preparations for this month's World Cup qualifiers with an unconvincing 39-8 victory over Romania in Limerick this afternoon.
With a trip to play Russia in Siberia in two weeks, followed by a Lansdowne Road date with Georgia seven days later, the Irish considered this match as an ideal marker for the games ahead.
It will now serve as a wake-up call after a scrappy performance that posed more questions than answers for the Irish management.
Ireland, as expected, took a firm grip on their friendly international in Limerick with four first-half tries against an improving yet inexperienced Romanian side.
The Irish had points on the board in the sixth minute when Keith Gleeson drove over for a try. Ronan O'Gara sent a conversion across the face of the posts to leave the home side 5-0 up.
Ireland dominated but were looking rusty in their first international of the season until O'Gara's 15th-minute penalty seemed to settle nerves.
His excellent kick to touch following the re-start put Ireland on the front foot again and when Bath centre Kevin Maggs battered through Romanian line, Gleeson was on his shoulder to take the ball over from 20 yards out.
O'Gara converted and quickly followed it up with a long-range penalty to send the Irish 18-0 in-front after 21 minutes.
O'Gara was replaced four minutes later in a blood substitution after receiving a cut to his head and his replacement David Humphreys quickly got in on the act by sending Girvan Dempsey clear on the right.
The full-back was brought down on the line by a high tackle and Italian referee Guilio de Santis awarded a penalty try which Humphreys converted.
The Romanians opened their account in the 30th minute when fly-half Ionut Tofan sent over a penalty.
O'Gara returned with his forehead heavily bandaged in the 35th minute although it did not appear to affect his thinking.
A clever lay-off to Maggs allowed the centre to break the Romanian line before passing to midfield partner Brian O'Driscoll who scored the fourth try of the first half. O'Gara converted to close out the opening period with Ireland leading 32-3.
With the game over as a contest, Ireland's performance dropped again and prop Reggie Corrigan was sin-binned for an infringement at a ruck.
Romania's number eight, Alin Petrache, soon followed him and a string of substitutions further detracted from the game as a spectacle.
O'Gara managed to miss a penalty from in front of the posts and Tofan followed suit at the other end. It was a scrappy way for Ireland to sign off before their trip to Siberia.
Ireland: Dempsey, Kelly, B. O'Driscoll, Maggs, Hickie, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, S. Byrne, Hayes, Longwell, O'Kelly, S. Easterby, Gleeson, Foley.
Replacements: Shields, P. Wallace, Cullen, V. Costello, G. Easterby, Humphreys, Henderson.
Romania: Brezoianu, Sauan, Aftea, Gontineac, Vioreanu, Tofan, Sirbu, M. Dumitru, Mavrodin, Tincu, M. Dragomir, Petre, Chiriac, Manta, Petrache.
Replacements: Toderasc, Tudosa, Petrichei, Podea, Vusec, Picoiu.
Referee: G de Santis (Italy)