[November Tests 2016 EOYT] Romania vs. Canada (19/11/2016)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: Arcul de Triumf
Time: 18:00 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[amz]

Canada first XV for the game against the Oaks:

1. Djustice Sears-Duru – (Glasgow Warriors/Ontario Blues) Oakville, ON
2. Ray Barkwill – (Castaway Wanderers/Ontario Blues) Niagara Falls, ON
3. Jake Ilnicki – (Manawatu Turbos/BC Bears) Williams Lake, BC
4. Brett Beukeboom – (Cornish Pirates) Lindsay, ON
5. Evan Olmstead – (Newcastle Falcons/Prairie Wolf Pack) Vancouver, BC
6. Kyle Baillie – (Westshore RFC/Atlantic Rock) Summerside, PEI
7. Matt Heaton – (Darlington Mowden Park/Atlantic Rock) Godmanchester, QC
8. Admir Cejvanovic – (Burnaby Lake RFC/BC Bears) Burnaby, BC
9. Gordon McRorie – (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
10. Connor Braid – (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
11. Taylor Paris - (Agen) Barrie, ON
12. Ben Lesage – (UBC Thunderbirds/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
13. Conor Trainor – (RC Vannes/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
14. DTH van der Merwe – Captain (Scarlets) Victoria, BC
15. Matt Evans – (Cornish Pirates) Maple Bay, BC

16. Eric Howard – (Brantford Harlequins/Ontario Blues) Ottawa, ON
17. Rob Brouwer – (Lindsay RFC/Ontario Blues) Lindsay, ON
18. Ryan Kotlewski – (Westshore RFC/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
19. Conor Keys – (UVIC Vikes/Atlantic Rock) Stittsville, ON
20. Clay Panga – (Westshore RFC/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
21. Phil Mack – (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
22. Pat Parfrey – (James Bay AA/Atlantic Rock) St. John's, NL
23. Ciaran Hearn – (London Irish) Conception Bay, NL

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Anscombe is showing signs of being a significant upgrade over Crowley as coach for Canada. So this may be tougher than the RWC game for Romania, even though it is at home. I'm picking Canada for an upset even though Romania looked sharp for the first 30mins last week. Canada by 7-9.

 

[amz]

Still waiting for Romanian XV but apparently Rose is injured so Vlaicu will start at 10 and at 13 will be a debutant, Vlad Popa, 20 yo center from Timisoara Saracens.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

That doesn't sound good. I guess Vlaicu hasn't played at 10 this season because of Bolder and Crocker? Makes the non-selection of Plai a bit more frustrating. Very interesting to see an 20 year old make their debut in such a competitive fixture. I can't say I noticed the lad Popa from the bits of Timisoara I have seen this season.

 

[dragos03]

Plai will be called up for the Uruguay match.

 

[amz]

That doesn't sound good. I guess Vlaicu hasn't played at 10 this season because of Bolder and Crocker? Makes the non-selection of Plai a bit more frustrating. Very interesting to see an 20 year old make their debut in such a competitive fixture. I can't say I noticed the lad Popa from the bits of Timisoara I have seen this season.

No, Vlaicu didn't played at 10 probably due to give Boldor game time. Crocker was a disappointment every time he played. Plai will be in the team for the test vs Uruguay, however he was selected for Nations Cup but had little impact.

 

[dragos03]

Oaks match squad is now official:

1. Mihaita Lazar (Castres)
2. Eugen Capatana (Timisoara Saracens)
3. Alexandru Tarus (Beziers)
4. Johannes Van Heerden (Stiinta Baia Mare)
5. Marius Antonescu (Tarbes)
6. Viorel Lucaci (Steaua Bucuresti)
7. Stelian Burcea (Timisoara Saracens) (C)
8. Andrei Gorcioaia (Massy)
9. Florin Surugiu (Steaua Bucuresti)
10. Florin Vlaicu(Steaua Bucuresti)
11. Ionuț Dumitru (Steaua Bucuresti)
12. Vladut Popa (Timisoara Saracens)
13. Jack Umaga (Timisoara Saracens)
14. Fonovai Tangimana (Timisoara Saracens)
15. Catalin Fercu (Timisoara Saracens)

Subs: 16. Andrei Radoi (Timisoara Saracens), 17. Ionel Badiu (Carcassonne), 18. Alexandru Gordas (Steaua Bucuresti), 19. Valentin Poparlan (Timisoara Saracens), 20. Cristian Chirica (Stiinta Baia Mare), 21. Valentin Calafeteanu (Timisoara Saracens), 22. Nicolas Onutu (La Voulte-Valence), 23. Stephen Shennan (Timisoara Saracens)

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Vlaicu doing his best Jonah Lomah impression!

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Having a nightmare predicting games this week. Nice result for Romania. The scrum half has really mastered those little box kicks. Two tries like they in two games. Romania even better in the backs in this game and I can see them closing the gap on the Pacific Islands and Georgia if they continue to develop their attacking play. Lapse in performance in the second half again? I couldnt see much of it. Could it be an issue with fitness and conditioning in the Superliga? And finally, how did the young lad Popa do? I had the volume on for another game so couldn't pick him out well.

 

[dragos03]

FT Romania - Canada 21-16

Good win and I think our backs have improved hugely since the arrival of Rob Moffat. All out last wins against Canada were grinded by our forwards but today it was our backs who outplayed the Canadians, I didn't expect that.

The Japanese ref was the worst I've ever seen at this level. There was a blatant knock-on leading to Canada's try, he missed at least 2 punches and he did countless of other mistakes against both sides. I think he simply doesn't understand offsides and rucks at all.

Popa was excellent and I think he played the entire 80 minutes.

- - - Updated - - -

Lapse in performance in the second half again? I couldnt see much of it. Could it be an issue with fitness and conditioning in the Superliga?

Hard to say. Obviously, the conditioning in the Superliga is not as good as the one in Tier1 leagues.

A guy who knows several national team players told me that the step back in the second half of the USA match was demanded by Howells, who wanted to test the defence. No idea if that's true.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Great to hear about Popa, I might rewatch it to look out for him if only to understand how a man that hasn't even played in the Superliga can last 80mins in an international! Between him, Simonescu and Bolder (who I massively rate as a prospect at 18, both mentally and in all physical aspects) your tough decades of watching the decline of Romanian rugby may be coming to an end. It's fun reading lots of Canadian comments expressing surprise at how damn good the Romanian backs were!

A guy who knows several national team players told me that the step back in the second half of the USA match was demanded by Howells, who wanted to test the defence. No idea if that's true.

Bizarre! The tragic thing is that could be true. As you seem permanently banned from playing Tier 1, you don't get many opportunities to thoroughly test your defence (except against Georgia). Howells will get plenty of defensive practice for that in Japan next year!

Although I also read that some of the US substitutes (including LangiLangi, who is a very good raw talent) are considered stronger than the players picked to start the match. So it may have simply been a combination of the US XV getting stronger and the Romanian XV, as is usual, having their best players start the match.

 

[dragos03]

Between him, Simonescu and Bolder (who I massively rate as a prospect at 18, both mentally and in all physical aspects) your tough decades of watching the decline of Romanian rugby may be coming to an end. It's fun reading lots of Canadian comments expressing surprise at how damn good the Romanian backs were!

I'd say the decline of Romanian rugby stopped in about 2010, after we were very close to even fail to qualify for the RWC. After a disastrous season in 2009, a new FRR president (Alin Petrache) introduced some much needed reforms, including the creation of the professional Superliga. We have been growing since then, slow but steady. This year it seems we're finally able to play 15-man rugby and our backs are no longer just some defensive blocks.

As for Popa, Howells is an old coach with a surprising appetite for risk. It's not the first time when he trusts a youngster that nobody has heard about.

 

[amz]

Test vs Japan may not happen. What is certain for June 2017 is Canada and Uruguay (both away, fair enough)

Popa's debut was awesome, he played like a battle hardened veteran, he put in big tackles and good carries. Solid player overall, he will develop nicely with good coaching.

I'd like to see Boldor, Popa and Simionescu in the same team as soon as possible and why not Plai or Zaharia as well. Another young back I rate is Iasi's SH, Vaman.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

A lot of countries above you are improving, but I can see Romania closing the gap on the Pacific Islanders, Georgia and possibly Italy over the next few years, particularly if there is no change to the residency rules. It doesn't surprise me it hear that the Superliga was created partially with the intention of the national side (rather than in France where they are enemies). If there is an issue with fitness I get the impression the people running your sport will identify it and address it. Fingers crossed for the Japanese tests.

 

[dragos03]

Before the Superliga, there was a huge gap between the players based in France (who were often not released by their clubs to come play for Romania) and the ones based in Romania (who were basically just some part-timers who had secondary jobs as bouncers or taxi drivers). Petrache's vision was to create a stronger domestic league and to keep the best Romanian players in the Superliga (some people think this was a mistake and the top players should have been released to play for French clubs).

Regarding fitness, I think our forwards haven't adapted yet to the much faster attacking game played by the Oaks in the last two matches.

I agree, many nations (above and below us) are improving but we are growing as well. We will finish this season with only one defeat, that match in Georgia where Howells sent the A team. These are very good results for a transition year, after several key players retired from the team due to age (Paulica Ion, Ovidiu Tonita, Csaba Gal, etc) and Howells tested over 50 players, at the same time changing our traditional game plan.

Sadly, the promotion of Romanian rugby continues to suffer and here is where the FRR is doing a very poor job. There are no news about the Oaks on international rugby sites and for most Tier1 fans we're just some kind of dead man from the past or something. World Rugby treats us like we don't exist, with no Tier 1 tests for 11 years. We have beaten Canada at the RWC and yesterday, still they were awarded two Tier 1 matches this season, while we can't even be certain of a test against Japan.