What's happening
Namibia - Romania

October 30 Match

WHAT'S HAPPENING? (posted 30th October 2003)
Looked like a cool night in Tassie last night when the Pool A minnows Namibia and Romania took to the field to fight it out for the wooden spoon prize. A crowd of more than 15,000 turned out in Launceston for Tasmania's only rugby world cup match 2003. Sadly, the crowd wasn't in for much of a game to watch - with the Romanians having an easy 37-7 victory over the Namibians.

The first half was rather boring - but so was the second half with the Namibians seemingly not all that keen on getting in there and really having a go. It took just four minutes for Romania to post their first points of the night when Augustin Petriche went over the tryline to score in the corner. His five points was converted by Ionut Tofan who would go on to show the crowd that he'd brought his kicking boots with him to the game! Tofan actually had an excellent game all round setting up and making a lot of Romania's plays.

There was a bit of excitement during the twenty fourth minute when Romania stole a ball at the back of a Namibian lineout but the ball was stripped in the tackle. The ensuing scrum saw the ball out and some good interchange work by Romania. Romania's half back Sirbu got hold of the ball and went down the blindside and over the line but van der Merwe stopped Sirbu from getting the ball down for the try.

Shortly afterwards though, the Namibians allowed Tofan to take a quick tap and stroll over the tryline! Doh! When Tofan converted the try the score was 20-0 in Romania's favour. It wasn't long before Romania scored again when Chiriac belted through to go over the line after a turnover near their tryline. Tofan slotted his third conversion for the night and Romania were another 7 points ahead. Romania picked up a bonus point two minutes before the half time whistle. Some nice backline moves and combinations saw Teodorescu land a try in the corner. The score 32-0 at halftime.

Namibia kicked off the second half and early on Romania looked dnagerous but were having difficulty hanging onto the ball - so were the Namibians though who struggled with ball security the entire game. Ten minutes into the second half Namibia had two players on the ground making York park resemble a battle field! Their flanker Duvenhage was down but after medical attendants attended him he was right to continue, but Neil Swanepoel was down for the count suffering a leg injury that required him to be stretchered off the field. Here's hoping he hasn't sustained any long lasting damange.

When Romania gave away a penalty a few minutes later, Namibia kicked for touch and the ball was near their tryline. This was it! Thier chance to score, at last, and they did it!! Isaacs went over for a Namibian try which Emile Wessels promptly converted. The Tassie crowd went off - guess it was a pretty exciting thing for Tasmanians to see :) The try seemed to spark the Namibians into a bit of action, and while they seemed to have lifted their game, they didn't score any more points. Romania were go get one more try though, coming in the last two minutes of the game when their winger Cristian Sauan scored.

The Romanians were elated with their win, and the Namibians end their RWC campaign without a win and the wooden spoon to boot. Their player Rudi van Vuuren made history though when he came on as a replacement becoming the first man to play in both the Cricket and Rugby world cups - that's not a shabby effort is it! ;)