Ireland produced a tough, gritty display to beat a French side in the Millennium Stadium this afternoon, but it did not come without a cost. 

Inspirational captain Paul O'Connell, along with Johnny Sexton, Keith Earls and Peter O'Mahony all had to come off injured, but it will be Paulie's injury that hurts both team and fans the most. 

According to Joe Schmidt, "it doesn’t look great to be honest. That would be a big blow for us", but he added that we will know more after he undergoes a scan tomorrow. 

However, in tribute to the incredible career of the man who was being taken off the pitch, the entire stadium rose in tribute to Paul O'Connell and gave him a standing ovation as he was stretchered off. 

Très belle ovation du Millennium Stadium à la sortie de Paul O'Connell ! #RWC2015 #FRAIRL pic.twitter.com/q6pZ7k3rRK

— sudradio (@sudradio) October 11, 2015

Via Balls.ie, The Independent