Full strength Romania to face France

Romania will make their World Cup entrance on Wednesday against France at the Olympic Stadium. Head coach Lynn Howells has selected his strongest possible side for the Pool D match-up, making only one change to the run-on side that faced Tonga in the final warm-up match in Bucharest earlier this month.

First choice loosehead Mihai Lazar is restored to the starting lineup at the expense of Andrei Ursache, with the rest of the team unchanged. Recently qualified duo Johan van Heerden and Paula Kinikinilau are included, but there is no place for Michael Wiringi, with his reserve spot taken by Valentin Calafeteanu.

Ovidiu Tonita and Stelian Burcea replace Marius Antonescu and Daniel Carpo in the reserves list. This will be Tonita’s fifth World Cup, though he did not make a match appearance when he was called up as a 19-year-old for the 1999 tournament in Wales.

Despite having played each other on 54 previous occasions, the Oaks have not faced Les Bleus in a test match since 2006, when France came away 62-14 winners in Bucharest. Romania have been victorious eight times, the last a 12-6 result in Auch in 1990.

ROMANIA
1 Mihai Lazar 2 Otar Turashvili 3 Paulica Ion 4 Valentin Poparlan 5 Johan van Heerden 6 Valentin Ursache 7 Viorel Lucaci 8 Mihai Macovei (capt.) 9 Florin Surugiu 10 Dan Dumbrava 11 Adrian Apostol 12 Florin Vlaicu 13 Paula Kinikinilau 14 Madalin Lemnaru 15 Catalin Fercu

16 Andrei Radoi 17 Andrei Ursache 18 Horatiu Pungea 19 Ovidiu Tonita 20 Stelian Burcea 21 Valentin Calafeteanu 22 Csaba Gal 23 Ionut Botezatu