Test Match Preview – Romania vs Uruguay

With qualification for Rugby World Cup 2023 now behind them, Uruguay play the first of three matches on Italian soil in Verona on Sunday. Notably the match is not against an Italian team but Romania. The pandemic situation in Bucharest caused the fixture to be played on neutral territory.

Romania and Uruguay have played each other in nine rugby test matches. The first was not very long ago, taking place in in 2008. Romania have seven wins, Uruguay one, with one draw in 2010. Their most recent contest was November 2018 with Uruguay winning 27-20.

The results underline just how much has changed during a short period of time. Uruguay continued their steady improvement between the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Romania meanwhile entered a deep administrative crisis that saw the team booted from World Cup contention for fielding an ineligible player in qualification matches.

Los Teros enter the match absent several key players with Mateo Sanguinetti the only France-based professional in the lineup. None of hooker Germán Kessler, locks Ignacio Dotti and Manuel Leindekar, flanker Franco Lamanna, and halfbacks Santiago Arata and Felipe Berchesi will suit up. Second choice scrumhalf Agustín Ormaechea is another to miss out.

As a result Esteban Meneses is left with an undersized second row as Eric Dosantos, normally a flanker, pairs with Diego Magno. Taller timber Juanjuan Garese and Felipe Aliaga, the combination used in the Americas Pacific Challenge, will instead wait their turns on the bench.

Tomás Inciarte steps in to partner Felipe Etcheverry in the halfbacks with uncapped Juan Manuel Tafernaberry called up from the Teritos u20 squad to act as reserve scrumhalf. The backline is otherwise unchanged from the group that defeated the USA in Montevideo, though outside back Baltazar Amaya could make his test debut as a replacement.

Andy Robinson has Romania back on track for World Cup Qualification, with the Oaks just behind Portugal in the Rugby Europe race and in a good position to at least make the Repechage otherwise. The pandemic has disrupted their year but they gave Argentina a scare in Bucharest in July and put together solid wins over Portugal and Spain in March.

There is a first test start for tighthead prop Vasile Balan and a first cap for flanker Damian Stratila, one of three debutantes in the run-on side with three more uncapped players on the bench. At the other end of the spectrum Mihai Macovei returns to captain the side from his preferred No8 spot in his 90th international appearance.

Gabriel Rupanu continues at scrumhalf as Robinson looks for a successor to Florin Surugiu, who could win his 90th cap as a replacement. The midfield has two new names who both qualify on residency. Jason Tomane is named at inside center, the younger brother of former Wallaby winger Joe Tomane, while Hinckley Vaovasa moved to Romania as a 19-year-old in 2017.

Three forwards are set to win their first caps from the bench. Hooker Tudor Butnariu and loosehead prop Dorin Tica, the latter just 20 years old and currently playing his club rugby for Colorno in Italy. Baia Mare openside flanker Alexandru Alexe is the loose forward cover.

Weather will not be a factor in Verona on Sunday with sunshine and mild temperatures expected. Los Teros are the higher ranked side, two spots ahead of the Oaks at 16th in the world though the points differential is marginal. Recent form leans towards Uruguay but historical results favor Romania.

The Romanian pack holds a significant size advantage that should help at the set piece and tight-loose. In the backs the edge should go to the more experienced Uruguayans. At full strength Los Teros might be considered favorites but without their top professionals the edge goes to the Oaks.

Kickoff is set for 2pm local time, 10am in Montevideo and 3pm in Bucharest. A live stream will be provided by World Rugby with TVR1 broadcasting the game in Romania.

ROMANIA
1 Constantin Pristavita, 2 Ovidiu Cojocaru, 3 Vasile Balan, 4 Marius Antonescu, 5 Adrian Motoc, 6 Florian Rosu, 7 Damian Stratila, 8 Mihai Macovei (capt.), 9 Gabriel Rupanu, 10 Daniel Plai, 11 Nicolas Onutu, 12 Jason Tomane, 13 Hinckley Vaovasa, 14 Ionut Dumitru, 15 Ionel Melinte

Replacements: 16 Tudor Butnariu, 17 Dorin Tica, 18 Alex Gordas, 19 Marius Iftimiciuc, 20 Alexandru Alexe, 21 Florin Surugiu, 22 Alexandru Bucur, 23 Paul Popoaia

URUGUAY
1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 Facundo Gattas, 3 Diego Arbelo, 4 Eric Dosantos, 5 Diego Magno, 6 Manuel Ardao, 7 Santiago Civetta, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Tomás Inciarte, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 11 Gastón Mieres, 12 Andrés Vilaseca (capt.), 13 Nicolás Freitas, 14 Federico Favaro 15 Rodrigo Silva

Replacements: 16 Guillermo Pujadas, 17 Juan Echeverría, 18 Matías Benítez, 19 Juanjuan Garese, 20 Felipe Aliaga, 21 Baltazar Amaya, 22 Juan Manuel Tafernaberry, 23 Felipe Arcos Pérez

Date: Sunday, November 7, 2021
Venue: Payanini Center, Verona, Italy
Kickoff: 14:00 local (10:00 Montevideo, 15:00 Bucharest)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (Australia) & Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Brett Cronin (Australia)
Broadcasts: TVR1 (Romania), World Rugby

HISTORIC RESULTS
2018-11-24 – Romania 20, Uruguay 27 (Baia Mare)
2016-11-06 – Romania 36, Uruguay 10 (Bucharest)
2016-06-13 – Romania 40, Uruguay 0 (Bucharest)
2014-06-14 – Romania 34, Uruguay 16 (Bucharest)
2012-06-08 – Romania 29, Uruguay 9 (Bucharest)
2010-11-27 – Romania 39, Uruguay 12 (Bucharest)
2010-11-13 – Uruguay 21, Romania 21 (Montevideo)
2009-06-12 – Romania 17, Uruguay 11 (Bucharest)
2008-06-11 – Romania 10, Uruguay 6 (Bucharest)