This is an Irish team that can win the World Cup. Lynn Howells, Romania’s Welsh coach, certainly thinks so after watching his team succumb to the inevitable in front of a world-record crowd on an otherwise pleasant, warm Sunday afternoon.
Of course there is a long way to go – a veritable marathon to follow the first-week sprint – but Joe Schmidt’s side are purring nicely, as Ireland’s former touchstone Brian O’Driscoll, now a spectator in the ITV commentary booth, observed after a thoroughly sound and impressive win. “You can’t really ask for a whole lot more,” he said, “two bonus-point victories in your first two games. It’s building nicely, under the radar.”
So, tumult has been averted. The upstarts are still starting, occasionally startling, but not quite getting up. After minor inconveniences for Australia and Scotland earlier in the piece, following South Africa’s post-Japan rehab win, Ireland put down a doomed Romanian insurrection to restore order. It was Ireland’s ninth win from nine outings against their opponents, one as emphatic as any of the others. Ian Madigan was sound at No10, Simon Zebo reasserted his credentials at full-back, Devin Toner and Nathan White were strong in the middle of the pack, Chris Henry was immense in ball carrying and tackling and Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls threatened and struck with pleasing regularity for Schmidt, who likes a running game, especially against outgunned opponents.
However Rob Kearney, who interchanged twice with Earls, might need time to recover from a late knock. “Rob was involved in a high-speed play immediately after coming on,” said Schmidt. “He jarred himself through his glute and hip. The next 24-48 hours will tell. We’d be hopeful at this stage he will be OK.” Earls and Bowe were outstanding wide out as was Zebo in linking with the wings in territory he occupied with distinction himself until dropped at the end of last season. He has been excellent at full-back since.
Howells said later he had anticipated the Irish raiding along the perimeters. “For sure we knew they were going to play a wide game, it’s the way teams play against us.” And, with a twinkle in his eye, he gives Ireland a realistic chance of lifting the cup: “It’s a possibility. I really do [think so]. I don’t see any reason why not – especially after seeing Wales beat England – which was most gratifying. I enjoyed that very much. I think Ireland have a more complete game than France.” The only joy for his team, perhaps, was the marriage proposal made on-pitch by the appropriately named scrum-half Valentin Calafeteanu. (Apparently she accepted).
But this was Ireland’s day, their Yellow Submarine scenario: sky of blue, sea of green. What could possibly disturb the serenity? Along Wembley Way, a kilt-wearing Irishman played the bag-pipe for what his cardboard signed reckoned was a fund for his engagement ring. As the nostalgic, match-day odour of burning onion rings and sausages wafted through the smiling throng, there was no sense at all of the sanctioned mugging to come.
On the pitch, the acreage looked way too expansive for Romania to patrol and the attritional fire storm of the opening attacks turned into a growing rout. The first fruitful breaching of the defence arrived after 17 minutes. Earls pulled down a beautifully weighted Eoin Reddan chip, found Chris Henry and Jamie Heaslip inside, and watched the three-quarter line sweep the ball across to the other side. The move reached its deserved climax as Bowe made the final salmon-leap, avoiding the corner flag by the width of his arm hairs.
Inside the half-hour Earls gathered a 25-yard cut-out pass from Zebo and dived over unencumbered. Romania probably appreciated the odd cessation of hostilities near the scheduled break, when Cian Healy had to grope around for a contact lens briefly dislodged.
Ireland went in 15 points clear. Romania, trailed puppy-like behind them, many of their players already approaching the exhaustion cut-off point, and accepted their respite gladly. Their back row had made as many tackles as the entire Irish team.
The punishment resumed quickly, Earls scooping up a delightful grubber kick by Reddan, for a short-range score. After 47 minutes Romania made just their third incursion into enemy territory with ball in hand. It was repulsed.
There was a divergent cheer from the crowd – for themselves; all 89,267 of them, announced as constituting a Rugby World Cup record – for Ireland against Romania, of all fixtures. That’s some statement about the growth of the game. If only the fight was more even.
What followed was a snapshot of days gone by. As the fans entertained themselves with the harmless inanity of a few Mexican waves – always a sign of boredom with the fare on offer – the pounding continued unabated.
Florin Ionita hit Bowe in mid-air on the hour but he escaped the sin-bin or worse because the referee, Craig Joubert, took the soft option, claiming he could not see if either of his feet were on the ground. The South African official had no hesitation yellow-carding Csaba Gal for his illegal interference on the ground under his posts and, from the resultant move, Bowe stretched the lead – and grabbed the bonus point.
Kearney got another, set up by Zebo, whose boots flew with the speed he once showed as a schoolboy sprinter. A mighty shove on the Romanian line saw Henry emerge from the melee a smiling try-scorer and, as some customers headed for an early scrum of their own on public transport, there was a growing perception that we’d probably seen enough. These were the final few punches of a fight that did no more than inflict bruises to the losers’ sense of self-worth.
And then, as so often happens in sport, a twist: Ovidiu Tonita clawed back some family pride with a stretched-out arm that plonked the ball just over the Irish line. It was the least Romania deserved. The conversion by Vlaicu sprinkled a little icing on their otherwise mouldy cake.
Ireland: Zebo; Bowe, Payne (Jackson, 58), Cave, Earls (R Kearney, 49; Earls, 56; Murray, 71); Madigan, Reddan; Healy (McGrath, 54), Strauss (Cronin, 60), White (Furlong, 64), Ryan (O’Connell, 64), Toner, Murphy, Henry, Heaslip (O’Brien, 60).
Tries Bowe 2, Earls 2, R Kearney, Henry Cons Madigan 4 Pens Madigan 2
Romania Fercu; Apostol (Ionita, 54), Kinikinilau, Gal, Botezatu; Wiringi (Vlaicu, 68), Calafeteanu (Surugiu, 68); Ursache (Lazar, 68), Radoi (Turashvili, 56), Ion, Popirlan, Tonita, Lucaci (Van Heerden, 60) Macovei (Burcea, 68), Carpo.
Try Tonita Con Vlaicu Pen Calafeteanu
Referee C Joubert (SA) Att 89,267
