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Hello and welcome to ESPN's live text commentary for France and Romania's Pool D clash at the Olympic Stadium. Our man Tom Hamilton is at the Olympic Stadium...
And here are your teams:
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| 1 |
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Referee Jaco Peyper blows his whistle and we are underway in Stratford.
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| 2 |
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Romania number eight Mihai Macovei with the early turnover for the team in yellow - and we have our first scrum, in France's favour.
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| 3 |
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Huge roar from the Romanians as they demolish France in the scrum! Kicked into touch, but the Romania lineout is loose and France steal easily.
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| 5 |
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Slightly better French scrum this time around - Louis Picamoles comes through with the ball and finds some ground. France penalty kicked into touch.
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| 7 |
3 - 0 |
And there are the first points. France win another penalty after an infringement in the breakdown and this time Morgan Parra slots the ball right through the heart of the posts.
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| 8 |
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Les Bleus are controlling this. Wesley Fofana made a lovely run before Parra's penalty and they seem to be moving the ball about well. This could be a long night for The Oaks.
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| 12 |
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Romania get the scrum on half way, but are then penalised by Peyper for turning 90 degrees. Lazar against Atonio turning into a real scrap in the set piece...
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| 13 |
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| 16 |
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Lovely chop tackle from Lucaci and Romania have the turnover - Lazar picks the ball and the French are penalised in the breakdown. Kicked into touch, Romania take the lineout.
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| 17 |
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Another superb turnover from Romania in the France 22 - they win the penalty in the breakdown and take the lineout again. Driving maul time...
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| 18 |
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Burst after burst from yellow shirts in the final five - they can see the France try line. It's right there...phase seven for the Oaks...
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| 19 |
3 - 3 |
Romania try? No! lorin Vlaicu appears to be over, but referee Peyper is unsure whether the ball has been grounded. We're going to the TMO - and it's clear the ball hasn't touched the turf. Romania had the advantage so they're taking the points. Vlaicu to kick in front of the posts - no mistake.
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| 20 |
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Easy three points, that.
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| 21 |
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Macovei has been superb at the lineout - another brilliant steal this time on the Romania 22. But Danut Dumbrava wastes the possession with one of the worst kicks of the tournament so far...
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| 22 |
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Little break in play after Dimitri Szarzewski catches a stray boot in the face. He'll have to go off for treatment.
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| 23 |
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Another Romania steal and they try and work the ball down the left side. However, there's a French offside and after a ridiculously ambitious but failed drop goal attempt from Dumbrava , Romania have a chance to move ahead...
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| 24 |
3 - 3 |
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| 25 |
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That is very unlike Vlaicu - he's just missed a doozie right in front of the posts.
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| 27 |
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Romania have won five turnovers already - France none. Tier Two nations taking it to the big boys, this is exactly what the World Cup is about.
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| 29 |
8 - 3 |
Referee Peyper isn't happy with Paulica Ion...
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| 30 |
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TRY! France make the extra man count immediately - Sofiane Guitoune, the man who came in for the injured Yoann Huget, is found in the corner and he does brilliantly well to plant both feet and ground the ball under pressure.
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| 31 |
10 - 3 |
No TMO required for that one - Peyper refereed England's victory over Fiji last Friday. Parra with the most ridiculous of conversions from a tight angle. It bends all over the place, clips the post and falls the right way through.
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| 33 |
15 - 3 |
That one is like a knife through butter - one of the most simple two-on-ones you'll see. Yannick Nyanga Kabasele ends a flowing move started from Brice Dulin's pacey break through the middle. France making the extra man count, big time.
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| 34 |
17 - 3 |
Parra has his second kick from a tight angle in as many minutes - and it's equally as good. After a patchy opening 30 minutes, the French are dominating proceedings in Stratford.
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| 37 |
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Excellent response from Romania, pushing into the French 22 with some lovely passing. France actually win a lineout, though, and Dulin clears downfield.
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| 38 |
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This time Romania's lineout is sloppy and France steal. However, the Oaks bag another turnover in the middle of the park - France really missing Thierry Dusautoir in the breakdown. Peyper pulls it back for an infringement and Vlaicu goes for the points...
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17 - 6 |
No mistake this time, lovely kick. Prop Paulica Ion back on after a costly 10 minutes in the sin bin.
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| 40 |
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And that's half time!
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| 40 |
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Back underway at the Olympic Stadium. Philippe Saint-Andre went absolutely mad at his French players in the dressing room at half-time - wonder what reaction we will get...
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| 44 |
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Romania win two early scrums approaching the French 22. Yellow lineout is won, but the pressure eventually comes to nothing when France turn over and clear.
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| 46 |
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Gael Fickou looks to make ground approaching the Romania 22 but he has absolutely no support out wide and is tackled with ease. French fans groan.
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| 49 |
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Break in play with plenty of changes for the France side.
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| 50 |
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France with the five-metre lineout that comes to nothing - but there's a little fumble from Romania in their own try zone...
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| 51 |
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| 53 |
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Very stop-start, error-ridden match this. Really needs something special to spark it into life.
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| 54 |
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Better from France as they work their way into the Romania half. Vlaicu rolls forward in the breakdown and Peyper brings it back for the penalty. Parra kicks out of play for a France lineout on the Romania five.
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| 56 |
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Poor from France - giving a silly penalty away for crossing. Romania clear to relieve the pressure.
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| 61 |
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France pushing hard into the Romania half - but Wesley Fofana drops the ball and we'll go back for the scrum.
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| 63 |
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| 64 |
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A lot of France running in this half - but making minimal games. Stark contrast to both of today's earlier games...
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| 65 |
22 - 6 |
TRY! At last - and it's that man Guitoune again. Free-flowing France move from the breakdown and it's worked to the right. The wing still has plenty to do as he drifts back inside to beat the tackle and ground well when challenged.
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| 66 |
24 - 6 |
Parra pings in the conversion with perfect precision. This is game over - France must now ensure they don't lose any of their players to injury like they did against Italy last weekend.
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| 67 |
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| 68 |
29 - 6 |
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| 69 |
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What is happening?! France have somehow got a bonus point out of one of the worst games you'll see. After Brice Dulin's offload, Wesley Fofana dances through three challenges, finds himself upside down as he crosses the whitewash and grounds the ball under pressure.
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| 70 |
31 - 6 |
Rory Kockott gets a slice of the action and splits the posts beautifully. Ten minutes left in this one.
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| 73 |
31 - 11 |
Romania with a lineout in the French five - show what you can do boys...
TRY! Wonderful lineout as the Oaks drive forward and the bearded Valentin Ursache slams the ball down amid two French tackles for Romania's first try of RWC2015. Replacement Vali Calafeteanu is jumping up and down with joy, going absolutely mental. Love it.
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| 74 |
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Conversion missed, though. Romania didn't want the extra two points anyway.
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| 76 |
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France think they have a fifth try - but it's ruled out by the TMO for a knock on.
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| 78 |
38 - 11 |
TRY! France's turn to impress from the lineout in Romania's half. Centre Fickou is given freedom to run and, after turning on the afterburners, he sidesteps the last line of defence and runs under the posts. Sums France up tonight - flashes of brilliance amid mediocrity.
Kockott converts with ease.
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| 80 |
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Guitoune almost away after a high kick - he was on a hat trick - but the ball bounces out and that is full time!
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| 80+1 |
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From ESPN's Tom Hamilton at the Olympic Stadium: This was not really a game for the purists, or a game for those who liked expansive rugby. For 70 minutes of the game, Romania went toe-to-toe with France in the forwards and the only time Les Bleus got any ball in space was due to poor kicking from the yellow-clad opposition. A visibly frustrated Philippe Saint-Andre gave France a half-time rocket and it was only tiring legs that allowed them to pull away in the latter stages. Guitoune did well to get his brace of scores while Fofana coming through the 80 minutes unscathed is perhaps the best outcome for France. Romania battled valiantly but eventually the lack of strength off their bench cost them dear
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