Romania's preparations hit by injuries

Romania face an uphill battle at their seventh Rugby World Cup.

The Oaks boast plenty of experience, with nine of the 30-man squad associated with French clubs, but the ageing side is also showing signs of strain.

Team manager Robert Antonin says injuries have hindered Romania’s preparations for their Pool B opener against Scotland on 10 September.

“We still haven’t decided who will be playing in our first match and we haven’t chosen our half backs yet,” he said.

The Oaks will train in Ashburton before travelling to Invercargill for their match against the Scots. They also have pool matches against England, Argentina and Georgia.

“We still need these next eight days to prepare,” Antonin said. "The weekend's training session will help us determine our best strategy."

Triple injury

Frenchman Antonin admitted the injuries during the build-up to the tournament had raised doubts about Romania’s World Cup campaign.

“We were a little worried when three of our players were injured," he said.

“We want to make sure those coming back from injury have recovered mentally, not just physically.”

The team was dealt another blow when winger Catalin Fercu withdrew from the World Cup because of his fear of flying all the way to New Zealand. Fercu is replaced Adrian Apostol.

Steve McDowall, the team’s technical assistant and a former All Black, hopes the setbacks will not undermine Romania's performance in New Zealand.

“Fitness has been a key priority and injuries don’t help,” said McDowall.

International influence

“We’d like them to be competitive, to be strong in our defence. We’d also like them to take opportunities to get the ball going forward.”

McDowall has been working with The Oaks since 2007, overseeing their high performance and scrum training before becoming technical coach.

“It’s been interesting,” McDowall said. “It’s different to the conventional way teams are organised, but you have to adjust to see how you can contribute.”

The 1987 All Black is just one of several international coaching staff behind The Oaks’ 2011 RWC campaign

Antonin, a former IRB Europe development manager, is flanked by another Frenchman in physical trainer Olivier Rieg, who spent 10 seasons at Biarritz.
The team is coached by retired Romania centre Romeo Gontineac, who is attending his fifth Rugby World Cup after playing in the 1995-2007 tournaments.