Oaks revert to old style power game
FLORIN VLAICU scored all his side’s points as Romania beat
Spain 13-3 in a scrappy encounter in Bucharest.
Vlaicu scored and converted Romania’s only try, in the 15th minute, in addition to two penalty goals to take his overall tally in tests to 794 points.
Industrial blowers cleared four inches of overnight snow off the Arcul de Triumf pitch prior to kick off, leaving a decent surface for the teams to play on. But a high penalty and error count made for a stop-start affair and, having suffered a shock defeat to Germany in a 10-try free-for-all last Saturday, the Oaks reverted to type and relied on their forwards and Vlaicu’s trusty boot to get them over the line.
After an early penalty attempt from near halfway fell short – Vlaicu’s first miss of this season’s Championship, the bearded centre got his name on the scoreboard from an unlikely source – at the back of a driving maul.
Spain’s misfiring lineout meant they struggled for territory throughout but they pulled three points back when Brad Linklater punished Viorel Lucaci’s tiptackle. Vlaicu slotted his next kick, after Linklater had put another effort wide, to make the half-time scoreline, 10-3.
The third quarter was as forgettable as the two before it, with only the powerful carries of tight-five forwards Andrei Ursache and Johannes van Heerden catching the eye, and the only points of the half came when Vlaicu drilled over his second penalty, on 57 minutes, after Spain openside Gautier Gibouin was pinged by Italian referee Ellia Rizzo for going off his feet at the breakdown.
Los Leones thought they’d found a way back into the contest when Romania lost the ball in con- tact on halfway and centre Fabien Perrin hacked on the loose ball, which he then regathered after a defensive gaffe from Stephen Shennan, and touched down under the posts.
However, the touch judge spotted a Spanish hand had knocked the ball forward in the tackle and the try was disallowed. Spain became increasingly desperate in their attempts to run the ball from deep thereafter but their attack lacked penetration and their efforts came to nothing.
In the second of yesterday’s games, lock Garbuzov Elgin scored with the last play of the game as Russia beat hosts Bel
gium 25-18 in Brussels. Early tries from Victor Gresev and captain Andrei Garbuzov had put Russia in command at 12-3, but Belgium responded brilliantly to lead 15-12 after scoring two tries of their own either side of half-time through Racing 92 wing Charles Reynaert and No.8 Michael Demolder.
A couple of kicks from Yury Kushnarev and one from Alan Williams meant the scores were level at 18-18 heading into stoppage time but Elgin denied the Black Devils a draw when he dived over following a series of pick-and-goes.
History will be made at the Rustavi Arena today, whatever the result between Georgia and Ger
many, as Lelos full-back Merab Kvirikashvili becomes the first player from his country to win 100 caps.
Unbeaten in 26 games at this level, Georgia hand maiden test starts to France-based props, Tornike Mataradze and Soso Bekoshvili, and fly-half Revazi Jintchve lashvili.
Germany head into the game without their captain and secondrow enforcer, Michael Poppmeier, who suffered a Champions hipending knee injury in their shock 41-38 win against Romania.