Romania ended a disappointing World Cup campaign on a winning note by beating Namibia 37-7 in Launceston on Thursday in the Pool A wooden-spoon game.
It was a rare taste of success for their French coach Bernard Charreyre, who learned in midweek that his contract would not be renewed and there was some consolation for Namibia in staging a spirited second-half fight-back.
The East Europeans ran in five tries with stand-off Ionut Tofan adding 12 points through three conversions and two penalties. The Romanians were 32-0 up at half-time.
Namibia, who were the only side in the competition to date not to score a try in a game when they lost by a record 142-0 to Australia, gained a consolation seven points 16 minutes into the second half.
There was a slice of history too for utility back Rudi van Vuuren who came on off the bench in the 70th minute to become the first man to play in both the rugby and cricket World Cup finals.
Romania opened with all guns blazing and took the lead in the fourth minute when, after a sweeping left to right movement, lock Augustin Petrichei popped up on the wing and crashed over for Ionut Tofan to convert into a 7-0 lead.
Namibia broke briefly upfield only to knock-on, but the Romanian pack was dominant and they forced a penalty after a 25m rolling maul drive that Tofan slotted over for 10-0 after 13 minutes.
Despite the bottom dogs nature of the occasion, the game brought out 15 457 Tasmanians to York Park to see the first rugby union Test to be played on the island, with those born on an even-number year supporting Namibia and those on odd-number years Romania.
And it was the odds who had more to cheer about as their forwards again piled forward with a multiphase movement that forced the southwest Africans to go offside. Tofan made no mistake from under the posts for 13-0 after 18 minutes.
Twice in the space of a minute Romania crossed the Namibian try line, but on both occasions failed to ground the ball as the East Europeans looked to give Charreyre a farewell gift.
But shortly after the second effort they were penalised again and scrum-half Lucian Sirbu caught them napping to take a quick penalty and plunge over from a metre out. Tofan made it three conversions out of three for 27-0.
It was becoming one-way traffic and tries followed before half-time from flanker George Chiriac (29) and Ioan Teodorescu (39) as the Romanians went in 32-0 up at the break.
Namibia steadied the ship at the start of the second half and then brought the crowd to their feet with a drive through the heart of the Romanian defence for lock Eben Isaacs to charge over. Wessels converted.
Dave Waterston’s men came close on two other occasions but it was the Romanians who had the last word with two minutes to go when they ran a penalty from 3m out under the Namibian posts and flung it wide left for Cristian Sauan to score. — Sapa-AFP