Romanians rue Fercu withdrawal
Sunday 4 September 2011, 6:58PM
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Romania's squad are still reeling from Catalin Fercu's shock withdrawal from Rugby World Cup 2011, according to teammate Cristian Petre.
The winger was a late withdrawal from the New Zealand tournament because of his fear of flying.
"I would say more than half the team are angry at him, not just disappointed with him," Petre said. "We feel like he just gave up. Some of the team feel like he just abandoned us when we needed him most."
While the 32-year-old admitted Fercu was "very, very important" to the Oaks' RWC hopes, Petre also said he understood the winger's apprehension about flying long distances.
"If you make someone fly against their will, they could have a panic attack and that would be worse," he said. "A lot of the team don't understand his decision and that's why many are angry at him. They feel like he could have made an effort to try and be with us."
Fercu claimed he had raised the issue of flying with management but his fears were not taken seriously.
The 24-year-old has been replaced by Adrian Apostol ahead of Romania's Pool B opener against Scotland at Invercargill's Rugby Park Stadium on 10 September.