'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwb/2gAIAQEAAAAAlm//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAECEAAAAB//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAC//xAAgEAACAgEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQAGIRESFEFh/9oACAEBAAE/AMFewE28Y8LlMdJYpVJjG6KAo4Dfep502xbMjF63gxwNzGhZz2r6Gv/EABsRAAEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIRIVHB/9oACAECAQE/ACNRMa7Jf//EABkRAAIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECABEh8P/aAAgBAwEBPwBWNb2Cf//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Runners-up from four years ago, France, registered their second win of the pool stages after completing a 38-11 win over Romania in their Pool D clash. France earned the bonus point too, having scored five tries in all.
Following their 32-10 win against Italy in the opener, where they were scrappy, the French executed their slick passing game a little better against the Romanians which ultimately proved too much for their opponents to handle.
Romania came up short against the French despite fielding a very experienced team, which is incidentally the oldest at this tournament.
They did manage to score their first ever try against the French in this game, but that was as good as it got for the central European nation. And, like in the case of Fiji against Australia in the previous game, this was the closest margin by which Romania had lost to the French in 20 years.
Romania actually began the match quite impressively, forcing eight turnovers from the French and garnering possession. In the 18th minute, they had an early attempt at a try ruled out by the TV umpire after footage showed that the touchdown hadn’t been completed.
That missed try seemed to kick start a massive French wave of domination. Romanian prop Paulica Ion received a yellow in the 30th minute and that further strengthened the French. Les Bleus scored two quick tries shortly after, from wing Sofiane Guitoune and flanker Yannick Nyanga.
Morgan Parra did his usual, putting away the conversions and within five minutes of Ion being sin binned, France had added 14 points.
Guitoune would score again, in the 68th minute, before Wesley Fofana, the man-of-the-match, touched down on 71 minutes. France were by now rampaging and Fofana thought he had scored again before the TMO invalidated it for the ball having been lost forward.
The fifth try did come though, in the closing minutes of the match, through Gael Fickou.
Despite a solid start, Romania just didn’t have enough to slow down the French today.Romania next play Ireland at Wembley this Sunday while France take on Canada in Milton Keynes next Thursday.
