Ireland vs Romania, 27 September

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IRELAND v ROMANIA
27 September 2015
KO: 16:45 BST
Wembley Stadium, London
Live on ITV1 (United Kingdom) and TV3 (Republic of Ireland)

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant Referee 1; Romain Poite (France)
Assistant Referee 2; Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

Teams

IRELAND



15. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)
14. Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
13. Jared Payne (Ulster)
12. Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
9. Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster)

1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2. Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
3. Nathan White (Connacht)
4. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
5. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
6. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
7. Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) captain

Replacements;

16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
17. Jack McGrath (St Mary's College/Leinster)
18. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)
19. Paul O'Connell (Young Munster)
20. Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)
21. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
22. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon)
23. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)

ROMANIA



15. Catalin Fercu
14. Adrian Apostol
13. Paula Kinikinilau
12. Csaba Gal
11. Ionut Botezatu
10. Michael Wiringi
9. Valentin Calafeteanu

1. Andrei Ursache
2. Andrei Radoi
3. Paulica Ion
4. Valentin Poparlan
5. Ovidiu Tonita
6. Viorel Lucaci
7. Mihai Macovei (c)
8. Daniel Carpo

Replacements

16. Mihaita Lazar
17. Otar Turashvili
18. Alexandru Tarus
19. Johannes van Heerden
20.Stelian Burcea
21. Florin Surugiu
22. Florin Ionita
23. Florin Vlaicu

Head to Head

Played; 8
Ireland Won; 8
Romania Won; 0
Draws; 0

Last 5 Meetings

Ireland 43 - 12 Romania
26th November 2005
Lansdowne Road, Dublin

Ireland 45 - 17 Romania
11th October 2003
Rugby World Cup 2003, Pool A, Match 3
Central Coast Stadium, Gosford

Ireland 39 - 8 Romania
7th September 2002
Thomond Park, Limerick

Romania 3 - 37 Ireland
2nd June 2001
Bucharest

Ireland 44 - 14 Romania
15th October 1999
Rugby World Cup 1999, Pool E, Match 27
Lansdowne Road, Dublin

And that's what Zebo brings to Ireland. Shame he was slightly in touch as it was a very good run.

Great little run and pass from Earls there.

rodders wrote:There is a really interesting rotation pattern here and can see the plan coming together leading in from the warm-ups.

Interesting Henderson and POM are left out which suggests they'll both start against Italy but possibly Henderson dropping to the bench against France.

Fitz (or less likely Cave) looks likely to start alongside Henshaw against Italy as can't see Payne starting all 4 games.

There is obviously a mix of getting guys game time but keeping players fresh for the last 2 groups games and KO games..

the team finishing the game against Romania will be the one starting against Italy?

I think Ireland have a tendency to give the pass a fraction early and I'm not sure that wasn't another example. Think we could have fixed the defence a little better.

Try should be awarded though.

Shifty wrote:

rodders wrote:There is a really interesting rotation pattern here and can see the plan coming together leading in from the warm-ups.

Interesting Henderson and POM are left out which suggests they'll both start against Italy but possibly Henderson dropping to the bench against France.

Fitz (or less likely Cave) looks likely to start alongside Henshaw against Italy as can't see Payne starting all 4 games.

There is obviously a mix of getting guys game time but keeping players fresh for the last 2 groups games and KO games..

the team finishing the game against Romania will be the one starting against Italy?

No, several clear first choices aren't on the bench today.

Great stuff, finally Bowe gets a score. I hope this boosts his confidence.

Again some excellent play from Earls.

Nothing to do with rugby, but what is going on with Madigan's hair??

Earls really showing his credentials as a winger here.

Henry does well to win a penalty and diffuse the pressure; back row is very defensive with a lot of poachers and not many ball carriers, which doesn't suit our game plan but we should be able to disrupt their ball very well.

Positive from Ireland, I like this.

EARLS!!!!!

Great pass from Zebo to send him away but he showed some speed there, who says he isn't as quick as he once was...

Earls has been outstanding

The ZebEarls show here. Great pass and acceleration!

Munster representing themselves well in this game!

I am just so happy to see the confidence returning in Bowe. It was a great take from him and you can see him growing in stature.

SecretFly - Bowe has been on these forums and read your advice about catching the high balls! Fair play mate.

Also - Ireland look pretty poor to be honest. Some of the players just aren't performing at a high enough standard.

Average enough first half from Ireland. Gameplan is right; making them run a lot and make a lot of tackles. We haven't always kept the tempo as high as we'd want to for this but we are certainly winning the possession and territory battle.

Expect Romania to fall away in the final quarter.

Another great take from Bowe, good offload to Zebo but the try goes begging as Payne runs into Zebo. Not unhappy with this and feel Ireland will turn it on in the second half.

Cant say any Irish player has played poorly but Earls has been the standout player on the pitch.

Jesus, what a lazy effort. A smoking-break performance. The 90,000 crowd at risk of going for a snooze before the drinking later on.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:SecretFly - Bowe has been on these forums and read your advice about catching the high balls! Fair play mate.

Also - Ireland look pretty poor to be honest. Some of the players just aren't performing at a high enough standard.

Happy to be of service And nothing personal Tommy. Just want all you guys in top form.

Don't think that Ireland have been lazy, they are not playing extremely high tempo rugby but they are not playing lazily.

I just think they look a little uninspiring, with the exception of the back 3. It is all a little bit pedestrian but as Notch has said above, I expect Romania to tire in the 2nd half. We really need to aim for the bonus point.

There is also an eye on protecting themselves which is probably why they are not playing at their highest tempo. Don't think they are playing that badly.

Think that Heaslip and Henry have been pretty good as well.

It's lazy for me, billy.  
It's saying once again "Enough is enough".  

Which is fine.  Enough is enough for another win (hopefully).  But I'll say it again, there is no way we'll be trying to tire out our bigger challengers.  So this 'softening-up' game is fine for Romania... but we're running out of sides that it'll work against.  
Meanwhile, we're back jogging about and not getting the mileage into the legs at hard pace for extended periods that we'll be needing to defend against stronger sides.  
We're going to have to be running whether it's our gameplan or not.  We'll be forced to.  And even when we do up the tempo, the mistakes crowd in. So at the moment - it's all very iffy for me again.

They are playing the correct approach without the super high tempo. That's the way I see it Fly.

When we played at an extremely high tempo against Canada, there was no praise for that.

Aw, great work from Payne there.

I don't give Payne much credit but that was an excellent tackle and turnover from him.

Healy clearly needs the game time, he's very rusty.

Jaysus, Earls hurt.

We should get Earls off permanently if there is any issue at all, he'll be starting in all our remaining games if fit.

What the hell was in Madigan's mind then?

Jackson on for Payne... I guess that Jackson goes to 10, Madigan to 12 and Cave to 13?

Yeah... and then maybe later Madigan to 9, Cave back to 12, Earls to 13, Zebo to 11 and Kearney to 15

Great decision there to not give the yellow card, it was marginal so penalty was the correct call.

Do hope to Earls at 13.

Good, strong carry from Cave.

Nice backs move off the back of the scrum to wrap up the BP.

Finally the bonus point is in

Slick interplay between Cave and Madigan in midfield to release Zebo, who puts Kearney over for a fine try.

Murray on now, is it really worth the risk?

Chris Henry really deserves that try, he's had a very good game today.

Henry with the try, he deserved that. He has had a solid game.

Notch wrote:Chris Henry really deserves that try, he's had a very good game today.

eirebilly wrote:Henry with the try, he deserved that. He has had a solid game.

See, we can agree on some things!

#PayneForLions2017

Not Madigan's finest moment there, pretty much at fault for that try.

Notch wrote:

Notch wrote:Chris Henry really deserves that try, he's had a very good game today.

eirebilly wrote:Henry with the try, he deserved that. He has had a solid game.

See, we can agree on some things!

#PayneForLions2017

Feck, I even complimented Payne earlier

Notch wrote:When we played at an extremely high tempo against Canada, there was no praise for that.

There was from me

It is good to see our wingers performing so well, and it will be so unlucky for whoever misses out. I think Earls will be the nailed on 11 though, which means Zebo drops out. There will even be a huge decision to make for that number 23 shirt!

I can see Zebo not making the 23 to be honest, despite his good performance today. Fitzgerald must be out of the reckoning now.

Romania are a damn good team and could really give Italy a run. They really show the benefits of having a fully pro domestic league.

Gotta say (as a little aside) that Keith Wood is much more interesting and engaging and smart and funny on TV3 (when he gets real time to have a chat) than on the BBC, where I've never been impressed by him.

Fitzgerald will get the nod for the bench I think Rory, he's been tried at 11, 12, 13 and 14 recently. Clearly being looked at for the utility back slot!

Earls was the pick of the bunch, also impressed by Zebo and Henry. Cian Healy showed his rustiness around the field and needs more game time, so might be best as an impact sub. Still not convinced by Madigan at 10, mixed good with bad- I thought Jackson gave the back line a lot more structure when he came on but he wasn't trusted to kick at goal so I think thats his downfall.

I'm satisfied with that without jumping for joy. Job done- only now do I feel like the warm-up matches are over and the real Rugby World Cup for Ireland begins.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Romania are a damn good team and could really give Italy a run. They really show the benefits of having a fully pro domestic league.

It wasn't that long ago that they were pushing to enter the (at the time) 5N, at the end Italy got the favours because of geographical reasons. In the meantime Georgia overtook them and are now next in line to join the top tier tournament. Such is the fate of Romanian rugby.