Paul O'Connell's final game in front of a home crowd at the Aviva Stadium didn't have the fairy tale ending that many had hoped as Ireland lost by a score of 10-16 to a much improved Welsh side.
When these sides last met just a few weeks ago, Ireland had the run of the match and looked able to cut open Wales at will, but how things have changed in such a short space of time.
Ireland suffered their first defeat in the warmup matches to next month's World Cup, as the Welsh side showed absolutely no signs of the slow, sloppy play that had seen them punished in the first match.
There were 12 changes to the starting lineup from Warren Gatland, and at times Ireland found it almost impossible to keep up with them as they displayed great handling and quick passing that pulled the defence around the park.
While O'Connell was clear that the side were disappointed with the way that the result went in his post match interview, there are a few positives that Ireland can take from their bruising encounter.
The return of Sexton
The no. 10 shirt is hardly up for grabs, even if the no. 22 might be, but after a while out without playing much rugby, it was reassuring to see Jonathan Sexton return to the starting lineup. As perhaps the key man when it comes to executing Schimdt's game plan on the field, there were plenty of good points to his performance, even if he wasn't perfect.
©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
His kicking was reassured and there were several occasions where his defensive skills were put to the test, such as in the 55th minute when a Welsh attack came straight at him and he found himself isolated. However, he made the vital tackle, showed few signs of rust and his attempted kick to put Keith Earls through on a run down the line that very nearly came off is a dangerous weapon that Ireland can use to hit teams who push up too high against them.
Iain Henderson
His fantastic first half was capped off with a deserved try, and he showed some incredible strength to make it over the line despite the attention of several Welsh defenders trying to hold him up. It was a bruising run and a massive hit as he went in under the posts to get the score, but his half to that point had been flawless. He was similarly strong in the second half, but he gave Schmidt plenty to think about with a powerful display.
©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Response
Every time a question was asked, Ireland managed to find some form of response, despite the fact that the scoreline didn't go their way. Henderson's try before the half meant that they went in level, but after not being in control for much of the half they came out of the blocks quickly in the second half to pin Wales back and try to get some points on the board.
Chasing the game late on, and with a number of substitutions disrupting the flow of the game from the 63rd minute on, Schmidt's side were perhaps unlucky not to get a late try from Sean Cronin that would have given them the win.
©INPHO/James Crombie
On the other hand, there were reasons to be concerned, not least because of the injury to Keith Earls. He was stretchered from the field and while he was able to give a quick thumbs up to the crowd, it would be a real loss to the side if he was not able to make the cut for the tournament. He wasn't as effective today as he was in the last game against Wales, but his ability to change direction at pace and quick footwork make him a very important piece of the puzzle if Ireland are to break down more difficult defences.
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