Wesley Fofana is back from injury as France coach Philippe Saint-Andre rests nearly all of the team from Les Bleus’ opening game for Wednesday’s (Thursday NZ Time) Rugby World Cup Pool D match against Romania.
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We will be there to support our players even if they lose, they will surely do their best and the Romanian forwards can trouble any pack in the world. For Romania, they are the reward after four years of hard work, a chance to play against some real opposition.
Saint-Andre gave his side the hairdryer treatment during the interval, but for the first 15 minutes of an error-ridden second-half there was still no sharpness to their running lines.
France’s early flair had been stifled by a pumped-up Romanian side, which was unlucky not to score when centre Florin Vlaicu dived over a pile of bodies after some desperate French defending on their five-metre line but could not ground the ball and had to settle for a penalty.
Bordeaux full-back Guitoune added an impressive second before Wesley Fofana touched down following a powerful and intelligent run, however the Romanians were guilty of some poor tackling which made the five-pointer that bit easier.
For a team like Ireland, the group phase matches are mostly just a glorified warm-up, a final preparation for the big show of the knock-out stages.
France was rattled and Romania should have gone ahead, only for Vlaicu to miss a kickable penalty.
As such, the men in blue have put a disappointing Six Nations campaign behind them, bearing only two wins and an emphatic last-round 55-35 drubbing by England.
The first 20-minutes the crowd of 50,626 were busying themselves with a third Mexican wave; the first airing had been after just 13 minutes of the match. Yet for the first 30 minutes they were like a hurdler on Night Nurse, clattering into every obstacle as they stumbled their way around the field.
When one such phalanx threatened to rumble over, the Romanian prop Paulica Ion was forced into a cynical obstruction, and received a yellow card for his pains.
But the try Romania – coached by Welshman Lynn Howells – deserved for their efforts came when flanker Valentin Ursache went over from a close range line-out in the 73rd minute before France centre Fickou completed the try-scoring.
Two minutes later, a long range move, initiated by Brice Dulin in his own half, was concluded by Nyanga in the same corner and all of a sudden France had a 17-3 lead although Vlaicu reduced the gap with a penalty on stroke of half-time.
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Mihai Macovei is certain that Romania’s team spirit will serve them well in the Pool D clash with France.
