Ireland duo Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell are undergoing examination after sustaining injuries in today’s 43-31 RBS 6 Nations Championship defeat to France.
Skipper O’Driscoll was helped from the pitch in the 83rd minute but second row O’Connell managed to last until the final whistle.
Both players missed the November series through injury and their involvement in the rest of the Six Nations has now been thrown into doubt.
Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan said: "Paul took a very heavy knock on the shoulder and is being assessed. We don’t know the exact level of damage but he is very sore.
"Brian is exhausted. His hamstring tightened so we had to take him off. It was only his second game of international rugby this season and he ran out of steam."
Reflecting on an epic encounter with the French O’Sullivan said his side played "all the rugby" in Paris and the second half was the same as the first - without the errors.
"I think we played all the rugby out there, to be honest," said O’Sullivan. "Disappointing I suppose that we made a number of unforced errors.
"I think [it was] five tries they scored directly from our mistakes, intercepts, block-downs and turnovers. I don’t think France did much today except pick up the scraps that we gave them and run up 40 points.
"The tactics were not to give away stupid tries, which we were doing," added O’Sullivan.
While disappointed with the "schoolboy errors" of the first half O’Sullivan insisted that "these things happen" and hinted at a feeling of vindication by the second half showing.
"We just stopped making those silly errors and held on to the ball and ran at the French, made them make tackles and took them through phases - the stuff that we wanted to do for 80 minutes and we only got it done in the second half."
France veteran Olivier Magne admitted his side need to improve their concentration after offering Ireland a late lifeline.
Magne, who scored a try after just eight minutes on his return to the side, told BBC Sport: "Our first half was very good, the second half was not what we expected.
"It was an incredible start. We were very motivated when the match began and we did well but we have to play like that for 80 minutes.
"We have to work a lot. This team is not at its best. We were very determined to finish this game well and we are very motivated for the next game."
