Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll has been taken to hospital with a reported fractured cheekbone, after he was punched in the face during Ireland's 42-6 win over Bayonne.
The Irish claimed an emphatic victory, but the injury to their talisman is a serious worry with the start of the World Cup only three weeks away.
O'Driscoll was forced to leave the pitch during the second half at Stade Jean Dauger after being struck by lock Mikaera Tewhata.
The Irish captain's availability for the game against Namibia on 9 September in Bordeaux must now be in doubt.
‘I'm genuinely worried (about O'Driscoll),’ admitted Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan. ‘He's gone for an X-ray. If the doc's worried, then I'm worried.’
‘Hopefully, Brian is okay,’ said O'Sullivan. ‘And if he isn't, it would be a big pity. We knew we would get a physical game here, we needed that game. Bar Brian's injury, it was a worthile exercise. It'll be overshadowed if Brian got injured.'
‘But it was a punch thrown, so you can't legislate for that. Anyone can throw a punch anytime. It could be serious if it is fractured, it would be a pity.’
Denis Leamy also suffered a shoulder injury and was taken off as a precaution, but after the game it was announced that his problem is not serious.
Ronan O'Gara set the tone with a first-minute penalty and the Irish went further ahead seven minutes later, when Paul O'Connell went over in the corner following good lineout possession, with Gordon D'Arcy prominent.
Denis Hickie then gathered the ball on his own 10-metre line and evaded two challenges on his way to a brilliant try, which O'Gara converted for a 15-0 lead.
The hosts finally managed to score through Richard Dourthe's penalty, before Leamy went off injured to be replaced by Munster team-mate Alan Quinlan.
Dourthe scored another penalty, but Quinlan made an instant impact when he fed Andrew Trimble for Ireland's third try on the stroke of half-time for a 20-6 lead.
There was no let-up by the Irish after the interval as Hickie went over for another try almost immediately, before a superb fifth try of the night.
Marcus Horan reached the Bayonne 22 before passing to O'Connell, who held off Daniel Larrechea's challenge and went over with O'Gara again converting.
Ireland completed the win when Hickie went over for his third, with O'Gara adding the final points.
But the game was extremely physical throughout with five yellow cards shown in the game.
English referee Wayne Barnes had his hands full, with Cedric Bergez and Ireland's Neil Best yellow-carded in the first half.
Bayonne full-back Daniel Larrachea and South African lock Robe Linde followed in the second-half along with Gordon D'Arcy.
O'Sullivan said that the physical nature of Bayonne's game sometimes went too far.
‘I don't mind physicality, but it was more than physical tonight, there were some cheap shots, that's the pity, but that's the way they want to play it, we can't control that, we can only play our game.’
