Romanian Rugby

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Nice hands for the first try, although Kenya were reportedly very poor.

Surely they won't start Plai or Boldor in a match of this magnitude and will go with the safe hands of Plai?

 

[amz]

The highlights do not show the entire story of the match. I expected Kenyans to better but they barely touched the ball. Imho I think Plai will be the fly-half and Vlaicu and Fercu will cover center. I don't think Vlaicu will play fly half ever again. Well, who knows, we don't know this coach, this is his second game.

Kenya lacked any type of structure and surprisingly they were quite soft in contact although seeing them before the match one would have expected something else. In second half every player from Romania's squad entered the pitch and at the end some were in odd positions e.g. Calafeteanu on wing and Radoi at blindside

Portugal team have only one foreign based player , a lock from Richmond:

https://www.facebook.com/portugalru....1541434521./1932923860156460/?type=3&theater

They had more foreign based players vs Moldova in RET...they don't even try.

later edit: at a second look, there are only 23 players on that list so we might see some additional players being called up

 

[Welshdragon2000]

Kenya were terrible in that game. The second half was the worst half of rugby I have seen in a long long time. They will not be winning the repechage this month

 

[amz]

While the result did not go as they would have liked, it did give head coach Ian Snook an opportunity to test all 30 members of his squad in difficult conditions. Romania also extended an offer to Kenya to train together following the match, with the scrum in particular an area that Kenya will hope to improve in the coming days.

https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2018/11/06/match-highlights-romania-a-vs-kenya/

 

[amz]

Oaks for Portugal ( I can count at least 7 players saved for USA and Uruguay tests)

1 - PRISTAVITA Constantin
2 - CAPATANA Marian
3 - TARUS Alexandru
4 - ANTONESCU Marius
5 - MOTOC Adrian
6 - MACOVEI Mihai(c)
7 - URSACHE Valentin
8 - GORCIOAIA Andrei
9 - SURUGIU Florin
10 - PLAI Daniel (1st cap)
11 - DUMITRU Ionut
12 - TANGIMANA Fonovai
13 - FERCU Catalin
14 - ZAHARIA Vladut (1st cap)
15 - MELINTE Ionel (1st cap)


16 - RADOI Andrei
17 - BADIU Ionel
18 - GORDAS Alexandru
19 - VANHEERDEN Johannes
20 - ION Adrian
21 - CALAFETEANU Valentin
22 - POPA Vladut
23 - VLAICU Florin

 

[Welshdragon2000]

Vlaicu on the bench is interesting. A changing of the guard for Romania?

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Oaks for Portugal ( I can count at least 7 players saved for USA and Uruguay tests)

1 - PRISTAVITA Constantin
2 - CAPATANA Marian
3 - TARUS Alexandru
4 - ANTONESCU Marius
5 - MOTOC Adrian
6 - MACOVEI Mihai(c)
7 - URSACHE Valentin
8 - GORCIOAIA Andrei
9 - SURUGIU Florin
10 - PLAI Daniel (1st cap)
11 - DUMITRU Ionut
12 - TANGIMANA Fonovai
13 - FERCU Catalin
14 - ZAHARIA Vladut (1st cap)
15 - MELINTE Ionel (1st cap)


16 - RADOI Andrei
17 - BADIU Ionel
18 - GORDAS Alexandru
19 - VANHEERDEN Johannes
20 - ION Adrian
21 - CALAFETEANU Valentin
22 - POPA Vladut
23 - VLAICU Florin

They really better not be underestimating Portugal. Yes the Oaks will bully them upfront, but one yellow card for a tackle might be all it takes to swing the match.

Don't know anything about Zaharia or Melinte; it's all change.

 

[amz]

REC qualifier, Romania 36-6 Portugal

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Yes, it was only an under strength Portugal, but that was some nice interplay between the two debutants in the backline for one of the tries.

The match vs the US could be interesting and entertaining despite Romania being in an experimental phase.

 

[Welshdragon2000]

USA should win. Romania's squad is weaker for the next games for some reason(?).

 

[amz]

Rebuilding? Plenty of 22-23 yo guys? Still, USA played really bad vs Samoa

 

[amz]

Squad for US match

Prop: Ionel Badiu (Romains), Alexandru Savin (CSM Bucuresti), Alexandru Gordas (CSM Bucuresti), Constantin Pristavita (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare), Laurentiu Nica (Universitatea Cluj/U20)

Hooker: Eugen Capatana (Timisoara Saracens), Andrei Radoi (Timisoara Saracens), Florin Bardasu (CSM Bucuresti)

2nd Row: Johan Van Heerden (Perpignan), Adrian Motoc (Agen), Marian Drenceanu (Timisoara Saracens), Marius Iftimiciuc (Timisoara Saracens)

3rd Row: Cristian Chirica (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare), Damian Stratila (CSA Steaua), Adrian Ion (CSM Bucuresti), Razvan Ilisescu (Blagnac)

Scrum-Half: Florin Surugiu (CSA Steaua), Tudorel Bratu (CSM Bucuresti), Valentin Calafeteanu (CSM Bucuresti)

Fly-Half: Tudor Boldor (CSA Steaua), Daniel Plai (CSA Steaua)

Wing: Ionut Dumitru (CSA Steaua), Robert Neagu (CSA Steaua), Vladut Zaharia (Timisoara Saracens)

Centre: Tangimana Fonovai (CSM Bucuresti), Florin Vlaicu (CSM Bucuresti), Vladut Popa (Timisoara Saracens), Alexandru Bucur (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)

Fullback: Catalin Fercu (Timisoara Saracens), Ionel Melinte (CSA Steaua), Paul Popoaia (CSS 2 Baia Mare/U20)

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Rebuilding? Plenty of 22-23 yo guys? Still, USA played really bad vs Samoa

And won for the first time ever against Samoa (i.e more evidence that this could be the best US side in the professinal era). I'd say the US were ugly in that game rather than bad.

Interesting that the backs selection for the Oaks is pretty similar for their easiest and hardest games of November. Glad the coach is backing young players who did okay last time out. Plai or Boldor should finally get a start in a quality matchup.

I have to say I fancy the US by 10-12 if it is at the Arcul de Triumph. I'll be making every effort to watch this one.

 

[amz]

Arcul de Triumf is rebuilt along with other 4 football stadiums in Bucharest so it will be played on Ghencea (Steaua) second pitch.

I'll put ages of players to have a better idea about how young this squad is. About selection, I wonder why Dumani and Kuselo are not there since they played vs Kenya.

 

[amz]

Prop:
Ionel Badiu (Romains) - 29 yo
Alexandru Savin (CSM Bucuresti) - 23 yo
Alexandru Gordas (CSM Bucuresti) - 24 yo
Constantin Pristavita (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare) - 25 yo
Laurentiu Nica (Universitatea Cluj/U20) - 20 yo

Hooker:
Eugen Capatana (Timisoara Saracens) - 32 yo
Andrei Radoi (Timisoara Saracens) - 31 yo
Florin Bardasu (CSM Bucuresti) - 27 yo

2nd Row:
Johan Van Heerden (Perpignan) - 31 yo
Adrian Motoc (Agen) - 22 yo
Marian Drenceanu (Timisoara Saracens) - 28 yo
Marius Iftimiciuc (Timisoara Saracens) - 21 yo

3rd Row:
Cristian Chirica (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)
Damian Stratila (CSA Steaua) - 22 yo
Adrian Ion (CSM Bucuresti) - 32 yo
Razvan Ilisescu (Blagnac) - 24 yo

Scrum-Half:
Florin Surugiu (CSA Steaua) - 34 yo
Tudorel Bratu (CSM Bucuresti) - 27 yo
Valentin Calafeteanu (CSM Bucuresti) - 33 yo

Fly-Half:
Tudor Boldor (CSA Steaua) - 21 yo
Daniel Plai (CSA Steaua) - 24 yo

Wing:
Ionut Dumitru (CSA Steaua) - 26 yo
Robert Neagu (CSA Steaua) - 27 yo
Vladut Zaharia (Timisoara Saracens) - 23 yo

Centre:
Tangimana Fonovai (CSM Bucuresti) - 29 yo
Florin Vlaicu (CSM Bucuresti) - 32 yo
Vladut Popa (Timisoara Saracens) - 23 yo
Alexandru Bucur (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare) - 24 yo

Fullback:
Catalin Fercu (Timisoara Saracens) - 32 yo
Ionel Melinte (CSA Steaua) - 22 yo
Paul Popoaia (CSS 2 Baia Mare/U20) - 19 yo

On median, the team vs Portugal was 27,8.

It is a risk but it's the only way to see how some youngsters perform against a better team than Kenya or Portugal.

 

[amz]

Oaks squad for test vs USA:

1. Badiu
2. Radoi
3. Gordas
4. Motoc
5. Drenceanu
6. Ion
7. Van Heerden
8. Chirica
9. Surugiu
10. Plai
11. Dumitru
12. Fonovai
13. Fercu
14. Zaharia
15. Melinte

subs:
16. Savin*
17. Capatana
18. Pristavita
19. Iftimiciuc*
20. Ilisescu
21. Calafeteanu
22. Boldor
23. Popa

https://www.facebook.com/rugbyromania/photos/rpp.242479193269/10156875440813270/?type=3&theater

*3 new possible caps on bench: prop Savin, lock Iftimiciuc, fly-half Boldor

 

[amz]

Tissot became the official partner of the Romanian Rugby Federation and launched the official Stejarii watch, a limited edition of 500 chrohographs

 

[AmericanRugbyFan]

USA USA USA USA!

 

[amz]

Oaks' staff for REC 2019:

Lynn Howells - Technical Counsel
Marius Tincu - Head Coach/Caretaker until World Rugby will pick a new coach
Danie De Villiers - Backs coach

https://frr.ro/2019/01/14/marius-ti...lls-consultant-tehnic-din-partea-world-rugby/

 

[amz]

Squad for next matches in REIC:

Props:
Alexandru Tarus (Sale Sharks)
Constantin Pristavita (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)
Alex Gordas (CSM Bucuresti)
Alexandru Savin (CSM Bucuresti)
Vasile Balan (CSM Bucuresti)

Taloneuri:
Eugen Capatina (Timisoara Saracens)
Ovidiu Cojocaru (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)

Linia a II-a:
Marius Antonescu (Colomiers)
Johan Van Heerden (Perpignan)
Ionut Muresan (Timisoara Saracens)
Adrian Motoc (SU Agen)

Backrow:
Mihai Macovei (Colomiers)
Andre Gorin (Massy)
Adrian Ion (CSM Bucuresti)
Cristi Chirica (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)
Dorin Lazar (Timisoara Saracens)

Scrum-Halves:
Florin Surugiu (CSA Steaua)
Tudorel Bratu (CSM Bucuresti)
Alexandru Tigla (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)

Fly-half: Daniel Plai (CSA Steaua)

Wings:
Ionut Dumitru (CSA Steaua)
Nicolas Onutu (CSM Bucuresti)
Vladut Zaharia (Timisoara Saracens)

Centers:
Florin Vlaicu (CSM Bucuresti)
Alexandru Bucur (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare)
Vladut Popa (Timisoara Saracens)
Catalin Fercu (Timisoara Saracens)
Cosmin Iliuta (CSM Bucuresti)
Tangimana Fonovai (CSM Bucuresti)

Fullbacks:
Marius Simionescu (Timisoara Saracens)
Ionel Melinte (CSA Steaua)

We might see some completely new faces in next weeks.