This will be the second time these sides have met at a World Cup after a 24-18 win for Italy in Marseille in 2007.
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Italy team: Matias Aguero, Andrea Manici, Lorenzo Cittadini, Quintin Geldenhuys (captain), Josh Furno, Francesco Minto, Simone Favaro, Alessandro Zanni; Edoardo Gori, Tommaso Allan, Giovanbattista Venditti, Tommaso Benvenuti, Michele Capagnaro, Leonardo Sarto, Luke McLean.
Italy coach Jacques Brunel, who batted away questions about his future, was not in any mood to enjoy qualification for the next World Cup having set his sights on progressing into the quarter-finals of this year’s competition.
“I won’t be celebrating”.
“If we consider that our mission was to come out of the pool, we almost achieved our goal”, Brunel said.
Romania, who produced the biggest comeback in World Cups when they recovered a 15-point deficit to beat Canada on Tuesday, produced a spirited rally from 29-3 down.
Macovei scored two tries in Romania’s 17-15 win over Canada but was banned for a unsafe tackle during the game.
Romania: Catalin Fercu, Madalin Lemnaru, Paula Kinikinilau, Florin Vlaicu, Ionut Botezatu, Michael Wiringi, Valentin Calafeteanu; Daniel Carpo, Viorel Lucaci, Valentin Ursache (captain), Johannes van Heerden, Valentin Poparlan, Paulica Ion, Otar Turashvili, Mihaita Lazar.
Romanian tails were up and incredibly they got in for a third before the end of the game, with Apostol crossing for his second after Florian Vlaicu spun one wide.
The 32-year-old No 8 said a calf problem that ruled him out of the first two games – he underwent an operation to drain a haematoma prior to the tournament – had flared up again following his dynamic performance in the 16-9 defeat to Ireland last Sunday.
Lynn Howells side took an early lead at Sandy Park after their scrum managed to stand up the Italy pack and earn a shot at the posts.
Romania trail Italy, without several first choice players including talismanic captain Sergio Parisse, by a point.
“It is one of the most important games we will have played in a long time”, Howells said.
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However, World Rugby have claimed that the Canada captain has no grounds to complain, saying they have paid for all flights, accommodation and catering for each Rugby World Cup team.
