Sport

Romania made to battle

Pool C, Romania 14, Portugal 10: Romania narrowly avoided a huge upset when two tries in the last half hour gave them a 14-10…

Wed Sept 26 2007 - 01:00

Pool C, Romania 14, Portugal 10:Romania narrowly avoided a huge upset when two tries in the last half hour gave them a 14-10 win over Portugal's remarkable amateurs in their World Cup match in Toulouse last night.

Portugal, who scored a try in each of their four matches, earned their first World Cup bonus point for the narrow loss.

Portugal were 7-0 up at half-time after hooker Joaquim Ferreira went over from a lineout and outhalf Duarte Cardoso Pinto converted.

Romania levelled the score past the hour mark when hooker Marius Tincu went over also from a lineout and scrumhalf Valentin Calafeteanu converted.

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Replacement outhalf Goncalo Malheiro restored Portugal's lead with a penalty but Romania grabbed the win with Florin Coeodeanu's late try, converted by outhalf Dan Dumbrava.

Portugal have now lost 12 of their 13 meetings with the Romanians but they were in determined mood from the start against jittery opponents and scored a deserved try through their most experienced player Ferreria, who was winning his 84th and final cap.

The 34-year-old hooker was driven over in the 18th minute after Romania suffered a rare lineout loss on their own throw.

Outhalf Duarte Cardoso Pinto added the conversion to bring up a century of points for his country and extend the lead to 7-0, which was the half-time score.

Romania largely dominated the set pieces and enjoyed a territorial advantage but they ruined their good work with a host of handling errors against their tigerish opponents.

ROMANIA: Dumitras; Nicolae, Dimofte, Gontineac, Fercu; Dumbrava, Calafeteanu; Popescu, Mavrodin, B. Balan, Ratiu, Petre, Tudori, Corodeanu, Tonita. Replacements: Sirbu for Calafeteanu (64), Tincu for Mavrodin (40), Ion for B. Balan (52), Socol for Tudori (40), Ursache for Tonita (66).

PORTUGAL: Leal; Aguilar, Portela, Sousa, Carvalho; D. Pinto, J. Pinto; Cordeiro, Ferreira, Spachuck, G. Uva, Penalva, Coutinho, J. Uva, Girao. Replacements: Malheiro for D. Pinto (65), Pissarra for J. Pinto (75), Mure for Ferreira (70), Correia for Spachuck (52), Palha for Penalva (77), Murinello for J. Uva (76).

Referee: P Honiss (New Zealand).