The XV du Chêne challenges Tonga on Sunday, with the sole objective of saving honor after a very complicated tournament.
“Oaks that inspire pity”. Daily sports Gazeta Sporturilor is not customary for front pages devoted to rugby, but the affront was too great. Saturday September 30, Romania suffered its third disappointment in a row against Scotland (0-84), after the first corrections inflicted by Ireland (8-82) and South Africa (0-76). The caliber of the opponents cannot be anything other than a sham for this Romanian rugby in the trough of the wave.
The bad patch does not date from yesterday, but the XV du Chêne managed until this World Cup to maintain a little bark against the big nations (24-34 against Scotland in 2011; 11-38 against France in 2015). It now appears damaged to the root, before its last outing against Tonga on Sunday. Another big defeat, by more than 48 points, would make Romania 2023 the worst team in the history of the World Cup in terms of points difference. It is -234 after three matches and is not far from Namibia’s -282 in 2003.
We almost forget that, unlike the other scapegoats of yesterday or today – let us cite for example Namibia, Russia or Uruguay – Romania has a centuries-old rugby tradition. An annual test match against France was thus organized for around fifty years, from 1957 to 2006.And they weren’t bad at all!recalls Christian Darrouy, international in the 50s and 60s. They had a good bunch of forwards. It wasn’t fun.” These matches, played in November, on an often muddy pitch and in front of more than 50,000 people in Bucharest, looked like a trap. Over the period, France lost eight against the Romanians.
“If they had come to the Tournament, they would not have finished last every year! Besides, I was surprised by their decadence, they fell into oblivion…”
Christian Darrouy, former captain of the XV of Franceat franceinfo: sport
The last French defeat to date, in 1990 in Auch (6-12), both cost Jacques Fouroux his place as coach and marked the swan song of Romanian rugby. The golden age of Carpathian rugby indeed coincides with the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu (1967-89). Like other sports, Steaua (army club) and Dinamo (police club) provided the entire selection and were fully professional, in an international rugby that was still amateur. The fall of the communist regime in 1989 brought about the end of this system.
A qualification acquired on the green carpet
Since then, Romanian rugby has no longer progressed and, worse, has fallen back in the European hierarchy. Georgia has stolen its role as a scratch among the great nations. The Lelos thus outrageously dominate the Six Nations B Tournament, in which Romania also participates. They have won 11 of the last 12 editions. “We only have Tournament B and we are fighting for everything to evolve because as it stands, we will no longer be able to progress,” laments former Romanian international Valentin Ursache to Rugbyrama.
Even in this European division, the Romanians are confined to supporting roles. Their presence at the World Cup is nothing other than a sham, since it was acquired thanks to the exclusion of the Spaniards, qualified on the field but guilty of having fielded a suspended player. Four years earlier, Romania had been deprived of the previous edition for the same reason, a first in its history. On the ground, it no longer keeps pace with Spain. The contrast with Portugal, impressive in this World Cup, is striking.
“The Portuguese invest a lot more in youth”, explains Zyad El Aichouni. The Dinamo Bucharest winger is the only French player in the Romanian championship. And after sixteen years spent in Portugal, he has mastered the comparison. “As soon as I arrived in Romania, I offered to give training to the young people. But there is no under-14, under-16 or under-18 team. only one junior team”, he describes. During the last European Under-18 Championship, the young Romanians suffered a distressing 0-102 against Spain.
“There are five or six completely professional clubs, but the others are rather amateur… They even combined the first and second divisions, so there are big differences”
Ziad El Aichouni, French player for Dinamo Bucharestat franceinfo: sport
El Aichouni plays in a historic club and “very professional”, who monopolizes the summits in a championship of disparate levels. He evaluates the Romanian Liga Nationala at a level close to Nationale 2, the fourth French tier. However, this confidentiality does not prevent 73% of players selected for Romania from playing in this championship.
The call of foreign players to the detriment of training
“For lack of good opponents, they are in a perpetual comfort zone and come up against a wall against the big nations”confirms Catalin Fercu, former international for Gazeta Sporturilor [lien en roumain]. “And there are also a lot of foreigners in the championship, Georgians or players from the Pacific for exampleillustrates Ziad El Ainouchi. The Federation gives them contracts to naturalize them and thus play in the selection.”
Several Tongans have filled the national ranks in recent years, with a hitherto limited impact, other than to illustrate Romanian deficiencies in terms of training. Especially since, at the same time, local players are no longer exporting. None of the 33 selected for the World Cup are playing in the Top 14, for example, whereas there were an average of six during the last participations since 1999. – first truly professional edition.
The best off play in Biarritz, Rouen or Mont-de-Marsan in Pro D2, and none globalist is not used to high level. The Romanian teams are no longer invited to the Challenge Cup, due to the large difference in level.
“The lower category nations need more confrontations with the best selections.”
Eugen Apjok, Romania coachat a press conference
“It would be nice to have at least one match a year against them”, he continues. In this sense, Romania has entered into a partnership with Italy to play at least one test per year and grow this young team. Since taking office last February, Eugen Apjok has in fact ousted several historical frameworks. Although it is not unanimous across the country, the decision has the merit of being designed for the long term. But it is not certain that the latter, fifth man to occupy the position in five years, will have time to build. “95% of the players present this year will certainly be there during the next edition”, he projects. The XV du Chêne will still have to qualify, which is not guaranteed despite a 24-team format.