New-Look Romania Set For Pershing Cup Clash
New-Look Romania Set For Pershing Cup Clash
Romania has picked its squad to face the USA.
Romania's coaching staff has named the squad to take on the USA Saturday in the Pershing Cup clash that will be LIVE on FloRugby.
The game will be held at the Rugby Stadium in Ghencea Sports Complex at 7am ET. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be used to support former Stejari rugby club captain, Petre Mitu, who is suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The match between these nations is for the Pershing Cup, named after former United States Army General John J. Pershing, who was one of only two US Army officers to be awarded the rank of General of the Armies. The other was George Washington. Pershing is also a national hero in Romania. He had a long relationship with Romanian artist Micheline Resco and also receive the Order of Michael The Brave from the Romanian people for his leadership in World War I.
In 1919, Pershing organized a military Olympics to mark the end of World War I, and Romania played the USA in a rugby game at that event. The USA won 21-0. The two teams also met in the 1924 Olympics (USA won 37-0) and in Moscow in 1988 (USA 17 Romania 7).
Romania's first victory over the USA was at the 1999 Rugby World Cup, when the Oaks came back from a 17-5 deficit to win 27-25.
The USA and Romania have played for the Pershing Cup three times. In 2012 the Eagles won 34-3, and in 2014 the score was 27-17. Their last meeting was a Romanian win, 23-10 on November 12, 2016.
Coaching staff of Thomas Lièvremont, Danie de Villiers, and Danut Dumbrava have selected 22-year-old lock forward Adian Motoc as the captain. Motoc plays professional with Agen in France - he is one of three players who play in France.
The Oaks lineup has several young, up-and-coming players, but also some impressive experience. Center Cătălin Fercu boasts 104 caps for his country, and both hooker Andrei Radoi and scrumhalf Florin Surugui have been capped 71 times.
Ten Romania players from that squad of 23 in 2016 will play Saturday. For the USA, only five remain from that meeting.
"It is a great pride and honor for me to be the captain of Romania," said Motoc (translated from the Romanian). "I was the captain of Romania A in June, but what is now is quite another experience ... There's a lot of pressure because it is a new chapter for Romanian rugby; a new generation that starts to climb, grow. [Now] we have to perform."
Romania lineup to face the USA
1. Ionel Badiu (Romains), 2. Andrei Rădoi (Timisoara Saracens), 3. Alexandru Gordaș (CSM Bucuresti), 4. Adrian Moțoc (C)(Agen), 5. Marian Drenceanu (Timisoara Saracens), 6. Adrian Ion (CSM Bucuresti),7. Johan Van Heerden (Perpignan), 8. Cristi Chirica (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare), 9. Florin Surugiu (CSA Steaua), 10. Daniel Plai (CSA Steaua), 11. Ionuț Dumitru (CSA Steaua), 12. Tangimana Fonovai (CSM Bucuresti), 13. Cătălin Fercu (Timisoara Saracens), 14. Vlăduț Zaharia (Timisoara Saracens), 15. Ionel Melinte (CSA Steaua)
Rezerve: 16. Alexandru Savin (CSM Bucuresti), 17. Eugen Căpățână (Timisoara Saracens), 18. Constantin Pristăviță (CSM Stiinta Baia Mare), 19. Marius Iftimiciuc (Timisoara Saracens), 20. Răzvan Ilișescu (Blagnac), 21. Valentin Calafeteanu (CSM Bucuresti), 22. Tudor Boldor (CSA Steaua), 23. Vlăduț Popa (Timisoara Saracens)