Romania RWC Squad

[amz]

Loosehead:
Alexandru Savin (CSA Steaua)
Dorin Tică (CS Dinamo)
Ciprian Chiriac (SCM USV Timișoara)

Tighthead:
Vasile Balan (CSA Steaua) - can pack on both sides
Gheorghe Gajion (Stade Montois)
Thomas Crețu (Stade Francais)
Alexandru Gordaș (CS Dinamo)
Costel Burțilă (RC Hyères Carqueiranne La Crau)

Hookers:
Ovidiu Cojocaru (CS Dinamo)
Tudor Butnariu (CSA Steaua)
Eugen Căpățână (SCM USV Timișoara)
Robert Irimescu (CSM Știința Baia Mare) - can play backrow
Florin Bărdașu (CSA Steaua)
Iulian Harțig (RC Bassin d'Arcachon) - can play loosehead as well

Locks:
Adrian Motoc (Biarritz Olympique)
Andrei Mahu (USA Perpignan)
Marius Iftimiciuc (US Carcassonne)
Marius Antonescu (Bourg en Bresse)
Florian Roșu (CSM Știința Baia Mare) - can also play backrow
Ștefan Iancu (CSM Știința Baia Mare)
Johannes Van Heerden (CS Dinamo) - can also play backrow
Lucian Mureșan (SCM USV Timișoara)

Backrow
Cristi Chirica (CS Dinamo)
Andrei Gorin (RC Hyères Carqueiranne La Crau)
Mihai Macovei (RC Bassin d'Arcachon)
Vlad Neculau (SCM USV Timișoara)
Dragoș Ser (CSA Steaua)
Cristi Boboc (CSA Steaua)
Damian Strătilă (CSA Steaua)
Mihai Popescu (Colorno)

Scrum-half:
Gabriel Rupanu (SCM USV Timișoara)
Florin Surugiu (CSA Steaua)
Alin Conache (SCM USV Timișoara)
Vlăduț Bocăneț (CSM Știința Baia Mare)

Fly-halves:
Hinckley Vaovasa (CSA Steaua) - utility back, can play center, wing, fullback
Gabriel Pop (CS Dinamo) - utility back, can play center and fullback
Vlăduț Popa (CSA Steaua) - utility back, can play center
Mihai Mureșan (CSM Știința Baia Mare)

Wings:
Atila Septar (RC Toulon) - can play center
Nicolas Onuțu (CS Vienne)
Cosmin Iliuță (CSA Steaua)
Mihai Lămboiu (CSM Știința Baia Mare)

Centers:
Taylor Gontineac (Rouen Normandie)
Jason Tomane (CSM Știința Baia Mare)
Tangimana Fonovai (CSA Steaua)

Fullback:
Sioeli Lama (CSA Steaua)
Marius Simionescu (SCM USV Timișoara)
Paul Popoaia (CSM Știința Baia Mare)
Ionel Melinte (RC Hyères Carqueiranne La Crau)
Robert Neagu (CSA Steaua)

This is a 50 players list from which 40 will be selected in August. Biggest names missing are Leon (Periguex) is still injured and ulikely to recover and fly-halves Boldor (Dinamo) and Plai (Steaua) who seem to be out of grace in last year after Vlad Popa and Gabriel Pop had some very good matches at fly-half.

We can see some new players added after 7s tournaments:

Sikuea Taliauli - wing (Timisoara, switching from Tonga via Olympic route)
Manumua Tevita - center (Baia Mare, switching from Tonga via Olympic route)
Alexandru Bucur - center, wing, fullback (Baia Mare)
Daniel Plai - fly-half (Steaua)

Squidge video on Romanian national team

 

[amz]

Oaks squad for RWC warm up match vs USA:

1. Alexandru Savin (CSA Steaua)
2. Ovidiu Cojocaru (CS Dinamo)
3. Gheorghe Gajion (Stade Montois)
4. Marius Iftimiciuc (US Carcassonne)
5. Andrei Mahu (Perpignan)
6. Mihai Macovei (C) (RC Bassin d'Arcachon)
7. Cristi Boboc (CSA Steaua)
8. Cristi Chirică (CS Dinamo)
9. Alin Conache (SCMUSV Timișoara)
10. Gabriel Pop (CS Dinamo)
11. Sikuea Taliuli (CSM Știința Baia Mare)
12. Manumua Tevita (SCM USV Timișoara)
13. Jason Tomane (CSM Știința Baia Mare)
14. Marius Simionescu (SCM USV Timișoara)
15. Hinckley Vaovasa (CSA Steaua).

Subs:
16. Florin Bărdașu (CSA Steaua)
17. Iulian Hartig (RC Bassin d'Arcachon)
18. Alexandru Gordaș (CS Dinamo)
19. Ștefan Iancu (CSM Șțiința Baia Mare)
20. Vlad Neculau (SCM USV Timișoara)
21. Florin Surugiu (CSA Steaua)
22. Mihai Mureșan (CSM Știința Baia Mare)
23. Ionel Melinte (RC Hyères Carqueiranne La Crau)

3 debuts for Oaks, Manumua (center) si Taliauli (wing), retained through 7s route and finally Mahu who posponed his debut repetaedly since November 2022 because of injuries. Coanche will probably be the kicker which is a nice surprise, Pop retains his place fly-half. On bench Hartig is a surprise but it seems he was excellend during preparation; a bit of a surprise is Muresan but I presume Popa is still injured; remarkable for this young man to get in the first 23 before more experienced players like Plai or Boldor. Really curious to see how the team looks after being more than a month in preparation camp.

article in Romanian here: https://rugbyromania.ro/romania-pentru-sua-3-debutanti-in-primul-xv/

 

[amz]

Verb Cotter to join Romania as consultant for RWC

 

[Alex Anghel]

The state of Romanian rugby is simply embarassing...from 5 Nations contenders in the 70s amd 80s, when we beat France, Scotland and Wales, to losing 56-6 vs Georgia... we were far more competitive then than Italy is today....