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Romania came to play rugby and they did just that, the Oaks pushing the French to their absolute limit, and especially bullying the French forward pack.
MATCH REPORT: FRANCE VS ROMANIA
The Romanian pack really did have a mission to make life as hard as possible for the French and they succeeded, and although Les Bleus ran away with the match in the end it was a tight performance from Romania and they will be confident in taking on Canada and Italy in coming weeks.
France has a lot to work on before taking on Ireland in a couple of weeks – they were pretty poor today and up against a stronger side may have let the game slip away.
A really enjoyable match and one and Romania did themselves proud in.
Final score:
France 38
Romania 11
France will be keen to continue their winning ways after toppling Italy over the weekend, while Romania will look to kick-start their Rugby World Cup campaign with an upset victory. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5am (AEST).
France currently sit second in Pool D, although a win today will see them take the top spot from Ireland and see them continue their impressive run of form after victories over England, Scotland and Italy.
As such, the men in blue have put a disappointing Six Nations campaign behind them, bearing only two wins and an emphatic last-round 55-35 drubbing by England.
Romania come into the match stern underdogs, with just five World Cup victories to their name from 24 appearances. But don’t write them off just yet – the Oaks’ bullocking forward runners and passion will see them stick it to the French. They’ve got a rich rugby history and a lot of pride on the line – be ready for a big effort.
History lies with the French, winning 39 of the two nations’ 49 clashes, however Romania boast a fresh team at full strength, which will keep the Les Bleus on their toes after the gruelling clash against Italy, where they lost Yoann Huget to a ligament injury.
Coming off an impressive performance against the Italians, Frederic Michalak will come off the bench and likely star with the boot. Dimitri Szarzewski gets another chance to captain France after taking the reins during their World Cup warm-up matches, with usual captain Thierry Dusautoir rested for this match.
Romania has a tough couple of matches ahead of them, with Ireland looming on Monday morning (AEST), but a strong performances should put them in good stead to compete with Canada and Italy towards the end of their campaign.
France will likely experiment with new combinations and most importantly target an all-important bonus-point victory, while Romania will attempt to follow in the footsteps of fellow minnows Japan after their shock victory over South Africa.
Prediction
Buoyed by a strong bench and confidence in their recent form, France should be too strong today.
Will Romania produce another shock upset for this World Cup? Join The Roar from 5am (AEST) for updates and debate in our live blog.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.