Key events
TRY! Scotland 77 – 0 Romania (Rory Darge)
73 mins. Matthews again appears in the attack, this time however he passes to Rory Darge to take his turn to score under the posts.
Two points added by Healy.
TRY! Scotland 70 – 0 Romania (Johnny Matthews)
70 mins. Cummins nicks a Romania lineout and the ball is moved sharpish to Kinghorn who is legs it into the opposition half, find George Horne who pops it back inside to debutant Matthews to gallop under the sticks.
Conversion added.
69 mins. Both benches have been emptied and it has definitely had a better outcome for Romania as their forwards are outmuscling the Scots at present. The latest possession for the Oaks has them punching into the Scottish 22, with Tomane again prominent with a big carry. But, as has often been the case, the ball is lost and Healy can wham it clear with his boot.
67 mins. More Romanian pressure as Tomane drives a big carry to the Scotland 5m line. It looks promising but Boldor goes for a hollywood cross-kick that sails into touch. GAH!
Poor decision that, as a few more phases in tight may have brought them five points.
64 mins. A tidy catch and drive from Romania puts them on the attack and up to the Scotland 22. They begin some tight carries that work them further in and up to the line before being held up. But, they will another penalty for the blue defence drifting offside.
60 mins. Tudor Boldor is on for Romania, replacing Conache, and he’s already been busy troubling the Scotland defence chasing a couple of his own kicks. This time he very nearly beats Kinghorn to the ball, but it was not to be.
TRY! Scotland 63 – 0 Romania (Ben Healy)
57 mins. Healy and Graham exchange a couple of passes each to work the outside-half into space to open his try account for the evening.
He, of course, converts his own touchdown.
TRY! Scotland 56 – 0 Romania (Ollie Smith)
54 mins. Rupanu throws an outrageous dummy from a lineout on his own 5m line and the entire Scotland pack buy it as he flies through the the gap created by them all looking the wrong way. He hack the ball on, but Ollie Smith covers it, then gallops all the way back to score from his own half.
Healy continues his 100% night from the tee
50 mins. That last action all happened on a penalty advantage and Scotland pepper the right side of the Romanian defence with carries near the line. But, the Oaks tacklers work unbelievably hard to stop everything and eventually force a holding on penalty.
That’s remarkable spirit in the face of the onslaught.
48 mins. Left sided attack from Scotland has Cam Redpath driving to the line, but he’s brought to a halt just short before the ball is moved to Bhatti who forces over. He looks to have a try, but the TMO review shows he lost control of it over the line. No try!
TRY! Scotland 49 – 0 Romania (Chris Harris)
45 mins. Another scrum penalty is won by the Romanian forward, who no doubt then turn their powerful rage towards their won fly-half as he misses touch with the possession they have just won.
The ball is run back by Scotland and in the 22 Healy chips a lovely cross kick wide t Redpath who pop it to the looping Harris to grab a try.
Healy then adds two.
42 mins. Romania have a go at playing the ball from their own 22 which starts by going backwards and just keeps on going in that direction. Luke Crosbie starts driving Tangimana back towards his own line, but the Scotland backrow has him gripped by the neck. Penalty Romania.
SECOND HALF!
Ben Healy drop-kicks the game back to life. We’ve also heard that the Simionescu’s yellow will remain at that level.
An email from Simon McMahon.
“Hi Lee. It’s a crying shame that this (well, not this exactly, but the first choice XV) Scotland side won’t make the knockout phase. Because we won’t. Let’s not kid ourselves. With the game against Ireland to come, you never know, I suppose, but I think I do.
The World Cup hasn’t been all that kind to Scotland – I’m thinking 1991 and 2015 in particular – but my hope is that in four years time, we can come back stronger and, with a bit of luck, do some real damage. Roll on 2027.”
That’s the spirit, Simon.
HALF TIME!
40 mins. PEEP! That’s the last act of a very comfortable half for Scotland.
TRY! Scotland 42 – 0 Romania (Darcy Graham)
39 mins. Straight from the restart, Scotland move the ball left to Harris who dummies and sprints forward through the Romania tackle line and into the Oaks half. He steps feeds Price who fizzes the ball left to Graham to score his hat-trick.
Healy is flawless from the tee.
YELLOW CARD! Marius Simionescu (Romania)
39 mins. In the build up, Simionescu was upright and caught Ollie Smith in the head so another player is off to the bin for a red card review.
TRY! Scotland 35 – 0 Romania (Matt Fagerson)
38 mins. The bal lis worked across the backline to the left touchline, with the ball going through plenty hands. Steyn is stopped by the Romanian defence, but the next phase has Fagerson running over from five metres.
Healy converts once more.
34 mins. Confirmation that the Robert Irimescu yellow card will remain as just that, no escalation to red. I find that a very strange decision, it looked very red to me.
TRY! Scotland 28 – 0 Romania (Darcy Graham)
33 mins. Gifiting possession to Scotland is not a good idea, and they run a languid move through Healy and Harris to Graham who is in for another, this time in the right corner.
Healy slots a tricky conversion from out wide.
32 mins. A man down, Romania have just shoved the Scotland scrum on the five metre like a slow freight train to win a penalty, which gives them a relieving kick to touch.
This work is instantly undone as replacement hooker Bardasu mangles his throw at the lineout.
30 mins. Scotland are up to the line and a Jamie Bhatti drive looks like it may have reached the whitewash between lots on Romanian tacklers. The TMO has a long look, but he was just short, so no try!
Romania are working very hard to limit much damage here, to their credit.
YELLOW CARD! Robert Irimescu (Romania)
29 mins. Irimescu drives into Healy and connects his shoulder with the Scotsman’s head. It was an upward drive and clear foul play so Ref Barnes sends him to the bin and the decision will be reviewed for a red by the bunker.
27 mins. Another punchy carry from Watson has Scotland up to the 5m line, but as the ball is moved to Smith he overruns and can’t hold it with the line at his mercy. Romania ambitiously run it out via Chirica, but the ball spurts into touch.
24 mins. Romania enjoy a few phases of possession, bumping some carries around halfway before Rupanu puts a big kick up that Healy bounces off his chest when attempting to catch.
From the scrum Jason Tomane has a huge carry through the Scotland midfield and into the 22; but he ran so far his support was slow to arrive and he is penalised for holding on while he waited for them.
TRY! Scotland 21 – 0 Romania (Darcy Graham)
20 mins. Scotland are a little laboured in possession on the 10m line until Graham streaks off his wing to take a short pass that puts him through a gap and he swivels his hips and steps round Simionescu to score.
Healy converts.
TRY! Scotland 14 – 0 Romania (Ali Price)
16 mins. A Scottish lineout midway into the Romania half has a settling catch and drive before Price releases the ball to Healy, who finds Darcy Graham off his wing and through a midfield gap to bear down on the fullback and pass right to Price to run in unopposed.
Healy adds two.
12 mins. As you’d expect, it’s all Scotland, with everyone getting involved in carrying the ball, including Javan Sebastian who has a cracking run in midfield, throwing a couple of dummies in for good measure.
But, The Oaks are doing a reasonable containment job so far and win a breakdown penalty for their efforts.
TRY! Scotland 7 – 0 Romania (Hamish Watson)
9 mins. Plenty of possession from Scotland, with Watson prominent with a couple of trademark pinballing carries in the previous phases, before he again pops up – this time in the 13 channel – to receive a Redpath offload to race on an outside arc to the corner.
Ben Healy converts
5 mins. A loose ball from a Scotland lineout is volleyed forward by Adrian Motoc, which is tidied by a retreating Graham. The winger spins 180 and sprints away from Romanian tacklers and flies into the oppostion half before passing to Skinner who can’t grasp it.
That’s the first flash of what Darcy Graham can do to the Oaks broken field defence.
2 mins. Scotland look to move the ball through hands, but it ends up with Ali Price deciding it’s best to boot it clear. Romania and clumsy with possession, accidentally toeing it into touch, which allows the Scots to move forward into The Oaks half froma lineout.
KICK OFF!
Wayne Barnes toots on this whistling flute, which signals Alin Conache to lump the ball deep to get us underway
The teams are out on the pitch in Lille, with much anthemic emotion happening.
Javan Sebastian is in for the match today, and he wants to seize his chance.
I’m expecting a procession from Scotland here, but you may think different. Or you may have a view on what specific type of procession Scotland need to prepare them for Ireland next. Send these and all reflections to my Email if you feel motivated.
Teams
It speaks much to the nature of the opposition that Gregor Townsend has made thirteen changes to the starting XV, with only Kyle Steyn and Chris Harris keeping their shirts from the Tonga win. Grant Gilchrist will captain the side as Jamie Ritchie sits this one out following a head knock last week.
Not to be too far outdone, Romania make ten changes of their own, including Taliauli Sikuea making his World Cup debut on the wing.
Scotland: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Kyle Steyn, 10 Ben Healy, 9 Ali Price, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Luke Crosbie, 5 Grant Gilchrist (c), 4 Sam Skinner, 3 Javan Sebastian, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Jamie Bhatti
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 WP Nel, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Rory Darge, 21 George Horne, 22 Blair Kinghorn, 23 Huw Jones
Romania: 15 Marius Simionescu, 14 Sioeli Lama, 13 Jason Tomane, 12 Fonovai Tangimana, 11 Taliauli Sikuea, 10 Alin Conache, 9 Gabriel Rupanu, 8 Cristian Chirica (c), 7 Dragos Ser, 6 Florian Rosu, 5 Stefan Iancu, 4 Adrian Motoc, 3 Gheorghe Gajion, 2 Robert Irimescu, 1 Alexandru Savin
Replacements: 16 Florin Bardasu, 17 Iulian Hartig, 18 Costel Burtila, 19 Marius Iftimiciuc, 20 Damian Stratila, 21 Florin Surugiu, 22 Tudor Boldor, 23 Nicholas Onutu
Preamble
The knife fight of the top three sides in Pool B has a couple of side skirmishes this weekend, the first being this evening kick-off between Scotland and Romania, with South Africa taking on Tonga tomorrow.
Scotland have a simple ask ahead of them to get of of this pool: a bonus point win over The Oaks today, then vanquishing end-level boss Ireland next week by seven points.
While simple does not necessarily mean easy, it certainly does when it comes to Romania who have been absolutely panelled in their two matches so far. It’s difficult to foresee a different outcome here, leaving Scotland to focus on the big test to come.
