Romania fight back to beat Canada

And when Canada were pinged for a deliberate knock-on and Vlaicu had kicked for the corner, a perfectly executed catch-and-drive resulted in a try for Macovei and brought Romania roaring back into the contest before Hirayama missed yet another penalty for Canada.

Canada played the last eight minutes with a man down after flanker Jebb Sinclair was sin-binned, and paid a serious price for it.

“We need to play Tier 1 countries, our decision makers (on the field) need to be at a club where they’re given decision-making games”.

But Canada and Italy remain a tough proposition, although Howells is hopeful Romania can upset Canada at Leicester City Stadium on Tuesday to kick-start their tournament.

“He’s a captain that leads by example, even when we did struggle he was able to pull everyone together”, Howells said.

Canada’s players appealed for a double-movement, but referee Wayne Barnes – standing close by – awarded the try after asking for a television referral.

But the scrum-half made no mistake when given another chance two minutes later, striking his kick straight through from in front of the posts to give Canada the advantage.

“It’s about just calming everything down and just realising what we have to do and that’s the biggest thing, not to worry too much about the game but worry about what you can fetch to the game”. A calm Vlaicu stepped up to send the ball through the middle of the uprights giving Romania an incredible come from behind win.

Tries (2): DTH van der Merwe, Jeff Hassler.

But Van der Merwe finished off an excellent play created by winger Jeff Hassler’s surge through the Romanian defence to touch down. The Canadians were no doubt thinking at that stage of pushing for a bonus-point win and an outside shot at third place.

If not the All Blacks, then whom?

“We did a few pretty naïve things in the last 30 minutes”, Crowley said.

Fiji played their final part in Pool A – the group of death – by running in seven tries in a 47-15 win over Uruguay who grabbed their first try of the tournament.

Scrum-half Gordon McRorie kept the move going with an incredible pick-up off his bootlaces.

Romania: Catalin Fercu, Madalin Lemnaru, Paula Kinikinilau, Florin Vlaicu, Ionut Botezatu, Michael Wiringi, Florin Surugiu; Mihaita Lazar, Otar Turashvili, Paulica Ion, Valentin Poparlan, Johannes van Heerden, Valentin Ursache, Viorel Lucaci, Mihai Macovei (C).

It was scrappy early on, not helped by the wet conditions caused by a downpour before kickoff.

Their first try stemmed from their scrum rocking their opponents back on their heels and over the line.

Vlaicu added the extras and then slotted a nerveless late penalty in a game that saw both sides miss several kicks at goal.

There was no time left for a dejected Canada to respond as Romanian players poured onto the pitch at full-time to celebrate a superb victory.