Romanian Rugby

[dragos03]

Romania starts preparing for the RWC next week, with a mountain training camp at Cheile Gradistei. Here is the training squad:

Props
Paulica Ion (USAP)
Mihaita Lazar (Castres)
Andrei Ursache (Carcasonne)
Constantin Pristavita (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)
Horatiu Pungea (Oyonnax)
Alexandru Tarus (Timisoara Saracens)

Hookers
Andrei Radoi (Timisoara Saracens)
Otar Turashvili (Colomiers)
Mihai Adascalitei (CS Dinamo)

Locks
Valentin Popirlan (Timisoara Saracens)
Johannes van Heerden (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)
Marian Drenceanu (Timisoara Saracens)
Marius Antonescu (Tarbes)

Back row
Valentin Ursache (Oyonnax)
Mihai Macovei (Colomiers)
Viorel Lucaci (CSA Steaua)
Stelian Burcea (Timisoara Saracens)
Ovidiu Tonita (Aix en Provence)
Vlad Nistor (Castres)
Randall Morrison (Timisoara Saracens)

Scrum half
Florin Surugiu (CSM Bucuresti)
Valentin Calafeteanu (Timisoara Saracens)
Tudorel Bratu (CS Dinamo)

Fly half
Danut Dumbrava (CSA Steaua)
Michael Wiringi (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)

Centres
Paula Kinikinilau (Timisoara Saracens)
Florin Vlaicu (CSM Bucuresti)
Csaba Gal (Universitatea Cluj)
Florin Ionita (CSA Steaua)
Robert Dascalu (CSA Steaua)

Wingers
Adrian Apostol (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)
Ionut Botezatu (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)
Ionut Dumitru (CSA Steaua)
Dorin Manole (Orthez)

Fullback
Catalin Fercu (Saracens)
Sabin Stratila (CSA Steaua)

This is an interesting team. Players who did well during the Nations Cup have earned a place in the squad (Drenceanu, Morrison, Antonescu, Ionita) but there are also surprises (Adascalitei, Tonita, Bratu, Stratila). Van Heerden and Kinikinilau are now eligible to play for the Oaks, it's odd that Alin Coste is not in the team but he might be injured.

 

[amz]

Very strange that Coste and Sarbe aren't in this squad, I wonder why.

 

[ZeroTwo]

Interesting squad. Not an expert, any players to watch?

Also Fercu scored a couple scorchers for Saracens this season. He can definitely do the business.

 

[dragos03]

It's especially harsh on Sirbe, who has worked a lot for the national team in the past few years and even lost his Pro D2 contract because of it. He is maybe injured.

From an interview with Lynn Howells, it seems that the Oaks will play two matches in August against a Scottish club (Glasgow?) and an English one and a test vs Tonga in Bucharest in September just before the RWC.

King's Cup results so far:
Dinamo - Timisoara Saracens 17-41
Steaua - Baia Mare 15-20
CSM Bucuresti - Dinamo 45-10
U Cluj - Steaua 15-12 (promising fly half Raoul Paxaman made his seniors debut in this match for Cluj and scored the decisive penalty kick)

Romania vs Argentia Jaguars 23-0 full match:

 

[amz]

There are 36 players in initial squad but Howells talks about 38 players squad in this article:
http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/77945

Maybe for whatever reason both aren't confirmed yet (injuries? clubs? who knows).

Yes, I agree, it is harsh on both because they were constantly present to ENC games last 4 years, especially Sarbe.

I have the feeling that there are some players who worth a look from staff, like Caplescu, I. Florea, Ianus, Conache, Badoi.
@ZeroTwo: Romania tight five is quite good. Also look for two Steaua backs (Ionita and Dumitru).

 

[dragos03]

Interesting squad. Not an expert, any players to watch?

Also Fercu scored a couple scorchers for Saracens this season. He can definitely do the business.

Fercu is the main attacking threat but Romania's strength has always been the pack. Expect all forwards to be solid, Romania can match Ireland or France in the scrum and loosehead Mihai Lazar in particular is very strong. The other backs are nowhere near Fercu's class but Surugiu is a lively scrum half, Vlaicu a good kicker while winger Botezatu is a fast player who can be dangerous if given some space. If he integrates well, centre Kinikinilau (of Tongan origin) can do some real damage.

 

[RedruthRFC]

England Counties played some good rugby in both matches, it would be great if they toured Romania every year to play against club sides and various select squads.

Sorry for the delay, I missed your reply until now.

In a sense, I agree - the competition was at about the right level (certainly more productive than the U20 sides sticking cricket scores on a couple of Hungarian teams), although I would prefer to see at least one match against a proper representative side (as opposed to a scratch A / U23 side). However, I'm afraid this won't happen - the RFU like take this tour to a different developing rugby nation each year.

Were the CSM Bucharest side that Counties played at full strength? It seems strange for a team of fringe players to push Counties as close as they did given that Counties had already beaten a SuperLiga side.

 

[dragos03]

CSM Bucharest wasn't at full strength (a few Romanian internationals were missing) but they have a pretty big squad.

Keep in mind that CSM tried to make a show for the fans, they played a fast attacking game and were really unlucky not to win. They went for the tries and did not kick many penalties from good positions. By contrast, the U23 team went with the traditional Romanian approach, based on scrum dominance, forward strength and tactical kicking. Counties had to work hard to counter these tactics, especially since they were outmatched in the scrum. Also, not all of the players in the U23 team were fringe, the two foreigners were selected in the extended RWC squad (they became eligible for Romania only after the Nations Cup so the coach sent them to play against the Counties) and they have played at Currie Cup/ITM Cup level. Many of the others are young but have potential, we might see them in the senior squad in the future. I was especially impressed by the young reserve props in the U23 team.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Funnily enough, I just stumbled across an article that answered my question. Apparently the number of overseas players is limited to eight in league matches, so CSM Bucharest used this match as an opportunity to give plenty of overseas players a run out. Here's the article if you're interested in one of the England players' perspective:

http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Hi...s-experience/story-26750412-detail/story.html

 

[Jerry Blue]

Just curious would a Pro 12 franchise for Romania ever work? I know it would be highly unlikely but was curious if a Romanian rugby fan would think it was viable and would it benefit Romanian rugby?

 

[psychic duck]

Just curious would a Pro 12 franchise for Romania ever work? I know it would be highly unlikely but was curious if a Romanian rugby fan would think it was viable and would it benefit Romanian rugby?

No and No are your answers for both those questions.

 

[amz]

No and No are your answers for both those questions.

I wonder which is the reasoning behind this statement

 

[RedruthRFC]

Indeed. Also, which two of the three questions (would it ever work? Could a Romanian fan see it working? And would it be beneficial to Romanian rugby?) they're an answer to.

 

[psychic duck]

Indeed. Also, which two of the three questions (would it ever work? Could a Romanian fan see it working? And would it be beneficial to Romanian rugby?) they're an answer to.

1. No
2. Only a deluded one
3. No

HTH.

 

[dragos03]

I've found on Facebook some great pictures from the infancy of Romanian rugby, the source is a new book called "1914-2014. An attempted encyclopedia of Romanian rugby" by Constantin Zamfir.

1899 - The first Romanian rugby players, in the team of Paris highschool Janson de Sailly. Second from the left on the bottom row is Ion Camarasescu and the first from the right on the top row is Grigore Caracostea.

TCR the first champions of Romania in 1914

1919 - the first Romanian national team at the Inter-Allied Victory Games

 

[RedruthRFC]

1. No
2. Only a deluded one
3. No

HTH.

Not much, amz asked for the reasoning behind the answers.

 

[dragos03]

Here's a video of Romania's scrum performance during the Nations Cup. The front row was very dominant even if some of the best props weren't available (Paulica Ion, Horatiu Pungea, Petru Tamba).


The referees for Romania's RWC matches have been announced:
Romania vs France - Jaco Peyper
Romania vs Ireland - Craig Joubert
Romania vs Canada - Wayne Barnes
Romania vs Italy - Romain Poite

I don't like Wayne Barnes but I'm happy we don't get Clancy

 

[dragos03]

Romanian squad for the 7s Granx Prix in Exeter: Ciprian Caplescu, Catalin Neacsu, Daniel Carpo, Alexandru Porojan, Cristi Boboc, Vlad Toma, Razvan Iliescu, Alexandru Beldean, Alexandru Tigla, Eduard Bencea, Alexandru Bucur, Robert Neagu.

Again, a very weak team. Two experienced players were added (Caplescu, Carpo) but some of the best from the previous competitions are out of the squad (Zaharia). At least some new prospects are being tested, nice to see Iliescu (Castres) and the 18-year old Eduard Bencea (Steaua).

 

[dragos03]

The Romanian training squad at Cheile Gradistei has been expanded to a total of 50 players. Lynn Howells says fitness will be very important in the final selection.

Props
Ionel Badiu (Carcassonne)
Paulica Ion (Perpignan)
Mihaita Lazar (Castres)
Constantin Pristavita (Baia Mare)
Horatiu Pungea (Oyonnax)
Petru Tamba (CSM Bucuresti)
Alexandru Tarus (Timisoara Saracens)
Andrei Ursache (Carcassonne)
Vlad Badalicescu (CSM Bucuresti)
Alexandru Gordas (CSM Bucuresti)

Hookers
Eugen Capatana (Timisoara Saracens)
Alexandru Oancea (Baia Mare)
Andrei Radoi (Timisoara Saracens)
Otar Turashvili (Colomiers)
Mihai Adascalitei (Dinamo)

Locks
Marian Drenceanu (Timisoara Saracens)
Valentin Popirlan (Timisoara Saracens)
Marius Sirbe (Blagnac)
Florin Tatu (Steaua)
Marius Antonescu (Tarbes)
Johannes van Heerden (Baia Mare)

Backrow
Stelian Burcea (Timisoara Saracens)
Daniel Carpo (CSM Bucuresti)
Viorel Lucaci (Steaua)
Mihai Macovei (Colomiers)
Vlad Nistor (Castres)
Ovidiu Tonita (Aix en Provence)
Valentin Ursache (Oyonnax)
Randall Morrison (Timisoara Saracens)

Scrum half
Valentin Calafeteanu (Timisoara Saracens)
Grigoras Diaconescu (Steaua)
Florin Surugiu (CSM Bucuresti)
Tudorel Bratu (Dinamo)

Fly half
Jody Rose (Timisoara Saracens)
Michael Wiringi (Baia Mare)
Danut Dumbrava (Steaua)

Centre
Robert Dascalu (Steaua)
Csaba Gal (U Cluj)
Florin Ionita (Steaua)
Florin Vlaicu (CSM Bucuresti)
Paula Kinikinilau (Timisoara Saracens)

Wing
Adrian Apostol (Baia Mare)
Ionut Botezatu (Baia Mare)
Ionut Dumitru (Steaua)
Stephen Hihetah (Doncaster)
Madalin Lemnaru (Timisoara Saracens)
Robert Neagu (Steaua)

Fullback
Catalin Fercu (Saracens)
Cosmin Manole (Orthez)
Sabin Stratila (Steaua)

 

[Croket66]

Suprising to see the squad expanded while all other teams are reducing their squad
Alin Coste is injured?
Gabriel Conache deserved to be in the squad IMO...