Updated 22.05
France 38-11 Romania
PHILLIPE SAINT-ANDRÉ made 13 changes to his French line-up before this one in Pool D, while the Romanians put out their most experienced XV in a World Cup game ever, with 684 test appearances between the Oaks’ starting players.
It was that Romanian experience that likely explained their composed start, with the French looking tentative from the outset. Those expecting a huge French victory were left disappointed in this one, although Les Bleus did manage that crucial bonus point.
The Irish players won’t have been too worried looking on for large portions of this game, but it was a canter in the end and the second half performance will certainly have eased worries for the French coach who was clearly worried and decidedly angry at half-time.
Quick-fire tries from Sofiane Guitoune and Yannick Nyanga took the French in 17-6 ahead at the interval, but it was the second forty minutes that sealed the expected victory.
Bordeaux full-back Guitoune added an impressive second before Wesley Fofana touched down following a powerful and intelligent run, however the Romanians were guilty of some poor tackling which made the five-pointer that bit easier.
Romania did pull one back after an impressive maul from a lineout in a moment savoured by the the coach Lynn Howells in the stand as much as the players on the pitch, but the joy was short-lived with Gael Fickou adding a fifth and final try for the French with two minutes remaining on the clock.
Morgan Parra’s kicking was sublime all night and before he was substituted he certainly made a case to continue at scrum-half for France’s remaining Pool D fixtures.
The Romanian scrum started the game off very powerfully from the first five minutes of the game, but Keith Wood in the TV3 studio predicted they would be tired and will similarly fade against the Irish forwards this weekend.
The Oaks forced France into eight turnovers in the first half but they couldn’t realistically keep that going for the entire game. It took twenty-minutes for the first score of the second half to be registered, but once the score came they predictably pulled away and all hints at a potential upset were quashed.
There are areas in which they need to improve before the probable Pool-winning decider against Joe Schmidt’s side, but overall this was a hard-earned win for France and they will see it as job done in many ways.
