Back in their heyday of the 1980's, Romania could list France, Wales and the 1984 Grand Slam winning Scotland side amongst their list of major scalps, while in 1981, they fell to the All Blacks by a mere 14 points to 6 in a game that also saw the 'Oaks' have two tries disallowed. The country boasted 12,000 players based at 110 clubs and they were expected to go onto be the next European power to challenge the dominant Five Nations - as it was at the time - but a combination of what could be seen as self serving bureaucracy amongst the power nations of the game and a deteriorating political and economic situation at home, combined to set Romanian rugby on a downward spiral.
Their position as Europe's 'next best thing' was usurped by Italy, who flowered in their demise and eventually joined an expanded Six Nations in 2000 while their status as top dog in Eastern Europe has also diminished recently in the wake of Georgia's rapid rise and the recent advances made in Russian rugby. Playing numbers have dropped by 75% over the last 12 years and the number of clubs has fallen to just 28. However, in the face of such adversity, they are still one of only twelve teams to have competed at every World Cup and with a former star player as head coach and a captain who plys his trade with one of Europe's top club sides, the class of 2011 were keen to raise their country's profile in New Zealand and take a step towards returning to their former glories.
Games against Tier One sides England, Scotland and Argentina would be acid tests but the match against rivals Georgia was the one that really mattered for every Romanian player. Hooker and captain, Marius Tincu is one of the few in the squad that is battle hardened for top level rugby, having locked horns with some of the best in the business in the colours of Perpignan. In the last of our World Cup series, he tells the Romanian story ¦
Game 1 “ Romania 24 Scotland 34
Scotland started well and led 15-3 after quarter of an hour but Romania fought back to lead by 3pts with only 13 minutes of the game to play. You must have been very proud of your team and the spirit they showed to comeback?
Marius Tincu: "Yes, I was very proud. It was the first time that the Romanian team was dominant in the scrum and also good at the line out against a team which play in the Six Nations. This meant we could stay with Scotland on the scoreboard and it gave us more confidence to keep faith that we are on the right path as a rugby nation.
When you had that lead in the final quarter, did you start to believe that Romania could actually win?
MT: "Yes I did but unfortunately, our players and coaching staff lack the experience to do so. We are used to losing and have learned to try and lose by the smallest points difference possible rather than play with a view to staying ahead in the game.
The Romanian scrum did very well in this match, it is a very strong part of your game isn't it?
MT: "Yes, the scrum is a tradition for the Romanian team, and in that game we were very proud and happy to find this traditional strength again.
Four years ago, you lost 42-0 to Scotland in the Rugby World Cup in France. This time around, you scored the most points against Scotland in a Rugby World Cup match by a team that is not in the Six Nations or the Tri-Nations. This must also make the team very proud and is a further illustration of your progress since 2007?
MT: "We didn't know that! We were just proud and happy to be considered as a team which didn't look ridiculous against a Six Nations side and to show what we are able to do. Yes, we have made some progress but first we have to say that four years ago, the conditions of the game were very different. The World Cup was held in France but we played that game in Edinburgh in only five degrees, while a day before we were in the South of France in thirty degrees. It was not the best conditions to play that game!
Game 2 “ Romania 8 Argentina 43
You were 19-0 behind in this one after only 20 minutes and “ as in the Scotland game - you gave the opposition too much of a head start. You can't afford a poor start in any rugby match, never mind a World Cup game can you?
MT: "Yes, it's true. After the Scotland game we thought we could play as equals with Argentina - in fact, more than that, we thought we could win that game. However, Argentina played with a quick rhythm and even though we stood firm in all the individual duels, we didn't have the physical and technical capacities to come back in the game.
Were Romania's poor starts down to a lack of concentration, organisation or something else?
MT: "A lack of organisation, especially in defence and a lack of experience in important positions like numbers ten and fifteen.
Your coach Romeo Gontineac said that Romania weren't aggressive enough in this game “ do you agree?
MT: "Yes, Argentina was more aggressive and imposed their rhythm on us so, after twenty minutes, we couldn't find our energy anymore.
As you said before, Romania loves to scrum but for Argentina, it really is their passion. The battle at every scrum in this game must have been very intense?
MT: "I'm proud of our performance in the scrum, we had equality in that part of the game against the team which is THE specialist but I regret that the referee didn't arbitrate the scrums very well. It seemed like he was only looking at us while Argentina could do whatever they wanted.
The scrums were very even according to the match statistics, it was actually your line out that cost you some quality possession. Argentina won all 13 of their throws while Romania lost 2 of their 6. The set-piece has to be right in these games to give you a chance for victory doesn't it?
MT: "Yes, to have a chance to win we have to be perfect in the scrum and line out at least but we were physically dominated, so the line out suffered through a lack of lucidity and concentration.
There was a terrible moment in the 72nd minute when it looked like Romania would score a try at one end, only to turn the ball over and see Argentina run 100 metres back to cross your line instead. That must be have been a heartbreaker for the team?
MT: "It was! It didn't change the outcome of the game - it would have been harder if that were the case - but it was the fatal blow. This play was a good resume of the whole game - we worked hard to win a few metres and then the other team scored.
Half-Time Quick Hits
Best match you saw not involving Romania?
MT: "I haven't seen all the games but I would say Ireland vs Australia.
Six of the best players of the tournament (three from the Northern Hemisphere, three from the Southern Hemisphere)?
MT: "Manu Tuilagi, Vincent Clerc, Mamuka Gorgodze; Piri Weepu, Morné Steyn, Felipe Contepomi.
Best emerging individual talent?
MT: "Manu Tuilagi.
Best team other than the All Blacks?
MT: "Wales.
Ones to watch in 2015 “ players and/or teams?
MT: "England, New Zealand and Australia.
Game 3 “ Romania 3 England 67
England had yet to impress in the tournament thus far with a narrow win over Argentina and a struggle against Georgia. Was there some hope of “ perhaps not winning the game “ but being able to cause England some problems and gain an honourable defeat?
MT: "It was hard to prepare for this game because we had a hard defeat against Argentina and the coach changed a lot of players in the team, so there was not much hope. We just wanted to have equality with them at the line out and the scrum, and we can consider that we almost did that.
Well, you did match England's scrum but again, the line out was a problem and cost you heavily, losing 7 of your 11 throws. Despite the quality of opposition you were facing, that's still a lot of easy possession to give away isn't it?
MT: "For the line out, we had a problem of coordination because the hooker hadn't played much before, so it was our fault but I think England was really much better than us, especially at getting turn over ball.
This game caused a bit of publicity when England were found guilty of switching match balls for Jonny Wilkinson to kick at goal, were you aware of it during the game and what did you think about it?
MT: "We weren't aware of that during the game, we only found out afterwards. We didn't speak much about that because England didn't need to do that to win against us - this fact didn't change the outcome of the game! I think Wilkinson maybe needed to do that to have more confidence for the rest of the competition.
Looking at some positives, you spent more time in England's 22 than they did in Romania's and you did force them to defend their line for a long time in that 2nd half. Is that enough to make the team happy or were you still disappointed to concede over 60pts?
MT: "We were disappointed to concede over sixty points because we wanted to keep them down to only thirty points and score twenty ourselves! The second half was better because the coach changed some players and we actually scored a try but the referee disallowed it. However, we are happy because the last game against England ended 134-0!
What do you feel when you play sides like England, France, New Zealand, Australia etc? Are you excited and maybe honoured to play them or would you rather play Georgia, Canada and Japan etc because they are closer in standard?
MT: "If it's just to play a one off test match, I prefer to play Canada or Japan etc to have a chance to win but for a World Cup, I prefer to play the better team because it's a way for us to progress and it's an honour to play them. We analyse the bigger teams and we know what they do differently and do better but we don't have the same quality of preparation because we don't have the same financial possibilities. It would be an interesting experience to exchange our preparation with them such as food, hotel, doctors, equipment and bonuses etc.
Game 4 “ Romania 9 Georgia 25
This game was - in effect - your World Cup Final, how much would it have meant to you to beat Georgia and how disappointing was it to come up short?
MT: "How much? I don't know, we just wanted to beat them! We were disappointed to lose against them but it was hard to remain concentrated after the match with Scotland, which we considered almost like a victory thanks to the game we produced and the reaction of our supporters. We received congratulations everyday from every city and town we were in.
Did you think that this game and the one against Scotland were your best chances of winning a match at this tournament?
MT: "Yes, we did. Scotland, because it was the first game and in the first game everything is possible because all the players are physically fit and we felt we could create a surprise. But our principal purpose was Georgia because we are almost at the same level - they're just a little better than us - and we know each other because we both play in the European Nations Cup.
They are a team that have improved a lot in the last few years, were you impressed by their performances against England, Scotland and Argentina?
MT: "No, we weren't impressed because they were not able to win any of those games, even though they played well.
Is there a friendly rivalry between the two countries on the rugby field or do you dislike each other?
MT: "It's a friendly rivalry. We're used to playing against each other a lot, either during the European Nations Cup or individually in the French championship.
Both sides seemed to be very close in ability but Georgia happen to have a certain Mamuka Gorgodze who makes a big difference and scored the only try in this one. He is a great player isn't he?
MT: "Yes, he's a very great player - he's like a machine! If Georgia didn't have him, it would have been very different for them - their team can thank him a lot.
It was a very physical match with both sides tackling with great ferocity but is it fair to say that Georgia were a bit stronger mentally and physically on the day?
MT: "Physically, they were stronger because they had ten days to prepare for that game, while we played England only four days before. When you're physically stronger, it's easy to be mentally stronger. We were too tired in the second half and the players who played were not able to give something more to the team.
Reflections
Looking back at the tournament now, would you describe Romania's World Cup as a success, as a failure or somewhere in the middle?
MT: "A success, because Romania presented a good image of Romanian rugby in the biggest rugby country in the world - New Zealand.
As the captain, what are the good and bad things you took away from this World Cup?
MT: "The good things would be the fact that some players were able to retire afterwards having experienced the high levels of this tournament and also that the media actually talked about Romanian rugby. The bad things? We lost against Georgia. Our main targets in this tournament were to win against Georgia and to be competitive.
You were certainly competitive despite not coming away with a win. In what ways do you think Romania has improved since the last World Cup?
MT: "More experience, a better coach and better preparation. We were mostly the same players as four years ago, so we had the experience of a World Cup behind us and we knew how to play together. The fact that the coach was Romanian was also important. He knows how we think and what our strengths and weaknesses are because he played alongside us four years ago and he knows the reality of the level of rugby in Romania. Personally, I was responsible for the scrum thanks to my experience in the French Top 14 with Perpignan, where the scrum is something very important. I was particularly proud of my partners in the pack and of the work we did together and I want to thank them for the confidence they give to me as the scrum coach and also as captain.
Were the two games against Scotland and Georgia the most important in this tournament because you felt you could win or was the chance to test yourselves against Argentina and England of equal priority?
MT: "No, for us it's as important to play Scotland as it is to play England and Argentina because we rarely have the chance to play against teams from the Six Nations or Tri Nations. The best team we play regularly is Georgia, we only get to play these better teams every four years at the World Cup, so qualification for each tournament is very important for us and I think that without it, Romanian rugby could die quickly. We had to fight very hard for qualification this time when we won over two games against Uruguay and I hope for the sake of Romanian rugby, that we will take part in the next World Cup. During the press conference after this game, I invited Scotland to come to Romania to play against us and I hope they will come. Romania can really only progress if we play against strong nations, four years is too long to have to wait to have the opportunity to progress.
What's your take on the mistreatment of the lower ranked nations in terms of rest days between matches - do you agree that things need to change for England 2015?
MT: "Yes, Romania suffered because of this against Georgia. All nations have to be treated as equal.
What has to happen in Romanian rugby over the next 4yrs to ensure that they're in a better position to compete at England 2015?
MT: "Better organisation for local rugby, more money and more games against better opposition. Also, getting more players in better competitions is very important. Playing in France for example, I have the experience of a higher level each weekend.
What are Romania's targets between now and the next World Cup?
MT: "The best we can do is to be European Nations Cup champions because with such a distinction, more Romanian people will hear about rugby.
What did you think of the tournament experience as a whole and does New Zealand deserve another World Cup in the future?
MT: "It was very well organized and the country is very beautiful. I love nature and I grew up surrounded by sheep as my father was a shepherd, so it was very nice for me. It was a successful tournament and I hope for all the younger players that there will be another World Cup there because it's such a beautiful country and because the whole country supports rugby. The people were very welcoming and I have to mention the New Zealand supporters who supported us so much and who were so nice to us in all the towns and cities we visited.
Previously published on ruggamatrix.com
