Romania and rugby: Four things to know about Boks’ World Cup opponents

The Springboks take on Romania in Bordeaux on Sunday afternoon in their second clash of the Rugby World Cup in France.

The two Pool B sides go into the game on the back of contrasting first results; the Boks won their opener against Scotland 18-3 while Romania were thumped 82-8 by Ireland.

Not much is known about the Romanian rugby team, who are nicknamed The Oaks.

Here The Citizen looks at some interesting pointers about the 19th-ranked team in the world.

Long rugby history

Rugby has been played in Romania for years. The sport was introduced to the country in 1913 by students who picked up the game when they were visiting in France.

From there on the game grew, with clubs being formed and then the National Rugby League was founded in 1914.

The majority of the players in the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad ply their trade in the domestic league with only a few playing in France’s lower divisions.

The Oaks have played in every World Cup except the 2019 edition as they were disqualified after qualification.

Romania’s style of play

Romania under head coach Eugen Apjok are one of the better tier two nations; they always show up and never give up.

Apjok’s team consists of traditional big East European players; this allows them to adopt a game plan around physicality. Their pack presents a good challenge; they have powerful ball carriers and are very competitive in the scrums.

Similar to the Springboks, the driving maul is something they admire, they use it often as an outlet to score points. They also have a few players with a bit of X-factor in their set-up, making the Oaks a dangerous opponent.

Cristian Chirica, captain fantastic

The skipper is one name that many associate with The Oaks; he embodies everything about the national team. The back row specialist, able to play at No 6, 7 and 8, is an integral part of coach Eugen Apjok’s team.

As the leader of the core, he’s able to galvanise the team and lead from the front with his performances on the field. Chirica is an excellent defender, a powerful runner with the ball and has soft hands, able to link up play.

As The Oaks are in the “pool of death”, Chirica will have to dig deep to inspire his side to keep going when it gets tough.

Taylor Gontineac, second generation RWC player

One of the heartwarming stories of the 2023 Rugby World Cup is that of Taylor Gontineac, the son of Romanian rugby cult hero Romeo Gontineac.

Gontineac senior was part of The Oaks’ golden generation that came through the 1990s. He was a skilled midfielder who represented his country in four Rugby World Cups (1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007).

The young Gontineac will keep his family’s World Cup legacy going in France, and be a second-generation rugby star. Much like his father, Taylor is an exciting inside centre who can produce moments of brilliance from nothing.

Romania team to face the Boks:

Marius Simionescu; Tevita Manumua, Jason Tomane, Taylor Gontineac, Nicholas Onutu; Hinckley Vaovasa, Gabriel Rupanu; Cristian Chirica (capt), Vlad Neculau, Andre Gorin; Marius Iftimiciuc, Adrian Motoc; Alexandru Gordas, Ovidiu Cojocaru, Iulian Hartig. Bench: Robert Irimescu, Alexandru Savin, Thomas Cretu, Stefan Iancu, Damian Stratila, Cristi Bovoc, Alin Conache, Gabriel Pop