| Time |
Score |
|
| |
|
Hello and welcome to ESPN's live commentary on the Pool D clash between Ireland and Romania at Wembley. Will Joe Schmidt's side make it successive World Cup wins or will Romania send shockwaves through north London?
|
| 1 |
|
Underway at Wembley. Romania kick off and Keith Earls takes a good early catch for Ireland, who try and make ground up the field.
|
| 2 |
|
A four-try victory would put Ireland top of Group D this evening. Tommy Bowe and Simon Zebo both find gains through the middle - this Romanian defence looking shaky already.
|
| 3 |
|
Good start from Ireland - but a handling error allows Romania to turnover and, with penalty advantage intact, Calafeteanu, clears into touch to give his team-mates a breather.
|
| 4 |
|
|
| 5 |
|
Ireland with a couple of slick one-touch passes on the left side - but Tonita reads it well to turn over. Ireland win it back and Bowe kicks smartly into touch for the first lineout of the game.
|
| 6 |
|
Mihai Macovei penalised for holding on too long in the ruck. Ireland have a penalty around 45 metres out, central to the posts. Ian Madigan going for goal...
|
| 7 |
3 - 0 |
Beautiful kick, right through the middle. Positive start for Ireland, who are fielding the oldest World Cup team in history.
|
| 9 |
|
Uruguay making some ground into Ireland's half - and they've won a penalty! Referee Craig Joubert decides Jared Payne hasn't rolled away quick enough.
|
| 10 |
3 - 3 |
Calafeteanu to take, on the angle some 10 metres in from the near touchline. Lovely attempt and it's 3-3 in north London.
|
| 12 |
|
Romania having to defend in numbers - but they force Bowe into touch and have the lineout. However, after a slick set-piece, Tonita's kick is straight into the hands of Zebo. Ireland's attack, though, comes to nothing.
|
| 14 |
|
That is superb from Simon Zebo - but it's not going to count. A brilliant spin from Keith Earls sends Zebo on his way. A neat kick from the winger sees him dash past a defending Romanian, before latching on and diving over the line. BUT NO! It's been chalked off - Zebo's foot was *just* in touch as he scooped the ball up from his own grubber. So unlucky.
|
| 17 |
6 - 3 |
Madigan sees his second kick of the match fly between the posts after Joubert awarded the penalty for a high tackle. "Have a word with the number seven," says Joubert to Romania captain Mihai Macovei - blissfully unaware that it is he wearing the No,7 shirt.
|
| 18 |
11 - 3 |
TRY! This one counts! Ireland work it across from the far side, Zebo offloads perfectly for Bowe who scores with a really, really good finish in the corner.
|
| 20 |
13 - 3 |
Madigan with no problems finishing the conversion. That was such an impressive finish from Bowe, he had virtually no room to ground and stay on the pitch. Superb work from Keith Earls in the build-up, too - he's been mightily impressive so far.
|
| 21 |
|
Romania find ground through the middle, but again tall of their hard work is undone by giving away a daft penalty. This time Joubert pings them for not releasing early enough from the tackle. Ireland kick into touch and relieve the pressure.
|
| 24 |
|
Two good lineouts from Ireland and a strong driving maul. They've got a penalty advantage and when a big, looping kick into the corner doesn't come off, Joubert pulls it back. Madigan kicks into touch by the Romania five for a green lineout and Ireland will have a chance to get a second try.
|
| 25 |
|
Or not! Joubert spots an obstruction and Uruguay kick to touch.
|
| 26 |
|
Madigan with another lovely weighted grubber through the middle and it causes problems for Catalin Fercu - he opts not to kick and finds himself in all sorts of trouble at the back.
|
| 28 |
18 - 3 |
Ireland have a second try! Brilliant long pass from Zebo to Earls, who sprints clear and dives into the far corner. Wonderful offload from the fullback, who has had a superb opening 28 minutes.
|
| 29 |
|
Madigan's conversion attempt is desperately unlucky as it bounces back off the post.
|
| 31 |
|
Tommy Bowe with an enormous take to gain ground - Joe Schmidt will be licking his lips over this backline. Zebo, Bowe and Earls have all been fantastic thus far.
|
| 33 |
|
The returning Cian Healy has treatment for a facial injury - but carries on. However, he is guilty of a knock on as Ireland advance again and Joubert has no choice but to bring it back. Uruguay have the scrum as Healy gets more treatment.
|
| 35 |
|
It appears Healy had lost his contact lens - Ireland can breathe out again. Another penalty conceded by Romania in the middle of the park - for offside - and this time Ireland opt for the corner.
|
| 36 |
|
|
| 37 |
|
Ireland's rolling maul collapses and Romania have a chance to clear with the turnover. And, having waited 33 minutes for a scrum, we'll have another straight away.
|
| 40 |
|
For all of Ireland's pressure, it comes to nothing. Joubert blows the halftime whistle and Ireland, without being spectacular, have a healthy lead at the break.
|
| |
|
ESPN's Tom Hamilton at Wembley - Romania have put in a spirited, valiant effort but have been second best in every area of the field. Ireland already have a strangle-hold on this game with Simon Zebo their chief attacking threat while Chris Henry has been a menace at the breakdown. Both of their tries showed wonderful finishing from Tommy Bowe and then Keith Earls but they have left chances out on the field. Two games in five days is too much for Romania and they are off the pace they showed on Wednesday evening.
|
| 40 |
|
Madigan gets us back underway at Wembley. That first 40 minutes yielded 71% possession and 76% territory for Ireland, while Zebo, Payne, Earls and Chris Henry are all into double figures for carries. However, Joe Schmidt's team are only 15 points ahead - can they build on that in the second half?
|
| 41 |
|
Devin Toner with a monster catch straight from kick-off. 127 kilograms of battering ram straight through Mihai Macovei.
|
| 42 |
|
|
| 43 |
23 - 3 |
Good pressure from the likes of Henry and Healy and Ireland have a turnover in the middle of the field.
|
| 44 |
25 - 3 |
That's a fantastic try! Lovely kick-through from scrum-half Eoin Reddan and Keith Earls dives on the ball to force across the line. That's his seventh World Cup try, which puts him level with Brian O'Driscoll's Ireland record. Madigan splits the posts with a perfect conversion to add the extras.
|
| 47 |
|
Henry does well to keep the ball for Ireland, before Healy barges through the middle - he, however, cannot hold onto the egg and Romania have the turnover. Healy concedes the penalty in his desperate attempts to win it back.
|
| 48 |
|
Earls in trouble here - he's going off for a head injury assessment. Took a very big hit when attempting to tackle a running Adrian Apostol in full flight.
|
| 51 |
|
Andrei Radoi knocks on and we'll have an Irish scrum in the middle of the Wembley turf.
|
| 52 |
|
Kearney gets bashed in the tackle - the momentum sends him around the other way, where he gets bashed again. However, he redeems himself with a fantastic block on Romania's five line. Lineout Romania.
|
| 53 |
|
"This is a hell of a noise and we've got sympathy for that," says referee Joubert as the Romanian players huddle to discuss the lineout.
|
| 54 |
|
Keith Earls comes back on for Ireland, while Cian Healy has departed after a solid if little rusty 55 minutes. Meanwhile, Romanian hooker Andrei Radoi has departed to get treatment on what looks like a facial injury.
|
| 57 |
|
More replacements as we await a Romania lineout. Madigan has now moved to centre for Ireland. Last ten minutes or so has been stop-start and error prone to say the least.
|
| 58 |
|
Florin Ionita is likely to be sin-binned here for a high tackle on Paddy Jackson. Ionita a fraction early with his challenge, Jackson was still in the air taking a high ball when the Romanian went through him.
|
| 59 |
|
Joubert goes to the TMO, who confirms Jackson's feet were not grounded at the time of Ionita's tackle. Referee bizarrely opts against the letter of the law - a card - and calls penalty only. Romania lucky to still have 15 on the pitch.
|
| 60 |
|
That'll be a yellow card though. Csaba Gal pinged for slowing play down right in front of the posts after a superb Ireland break. Ireland take the scrum.
|
| 61 |
30 - 3 |
A real statement from Tommy Bowe - Ireland take immediate advantage of the extra man and find Bowe on the right side, who races clear for his second try of the match. Ireland have four tries and a bonus point - they should top Pool D tonight.
|
| 63 |
32 - 3 |
Madigan with another wonderfully placed kick to add the extra two points - and Paul O'Connell is now on for Ireland.
|
| 64 |
37 - 3 |
This is fast becoming a rout - Gal's sin-bin has proved so costly. Reddan with a superbly disguised back pass to Madison, who sends Zebo away on the left side. The wing turns on the afterburners and sprints clear, before unselfishly offloading the ball to Kearney inside him. Beautiful move.
|
| 65 |
|
Madigan with a rareloose kick. After a stop-start opening 20 minutes to this second half, Ireland have turned on the style.
|
| 67 |
|
Romania ring the changes but this game is done and dusted now - will just be a case of how many more tries Ireland can add to their already impressive total.
|
| 70 |
|
Not looking good for try-scorer Rob Kearney, who looked as if he injured himself going over the line. He's gone over to the sidelines for treatement.
|
| 71 |
|
Romania back up to 15 players as Gal makes his return following a costly 10 minutes in the bin. Shades of Georgia's imminent meltdown against Argentina last Friday.
|
| 73 |
42 - 3 |
Ireland awarded a penalty after a high tackle between the scrum-halves - they take the lineout and use it to good effect as Chris Henry grounds on the back of a powerful rolling maul.
|
| 74 |
44 - 3 |
Madigan has no trouble dispatching the resulting conversion. Ireland clean and clear and will be hoping the last five minutes don't bring any serious injuries.
|
| 76 |
|
Here's Romania's chance - they're in a similar position to what they were against France. Lineout on Ireland's five after Conor Murray misjudges the restarting kick.
|
| 77 |
44 - 8 |
They've done it! In similar fashion to the try against France, Daniel Carpo takes a long lineout, offloads to Tonita who forces his way under the posts.
|
| 78 |
44 - 10 |
Easy enough conversion for Vlaicu.
|
| 79 |
|
|
| 80 |
|
Tommy Bowe's looking for his hat trick - but the Romania defence provides one final effort to keep him out. Joubert awards the penalty and Romania kick into touch - and that's the final whistle at Wembley!
ESPN's Tom Hamilton at Wembley - Simon Zebo was Ireland's chief magician in a backline full of inventive sorcery in front of a record World Cup crowd of 89,267. They played at a relentless pace with Rob Kearney's try a textbook lift from the training paddock. However, the sight of him limping off the field late in the second-half will put a cloud over this commanding win. Romania, for all their efforts, were never in this game. Two matches in five days were far too much for their weary legs. Ireland were ruthless but are still attempting to reach top gear. Alongside Zebo, Chris Henry impressed as did Jared Payne and a haul of 10 points from a possible 10 is the perfect start for Joe Schmidt's men. That final match of the pool against France is brewing nicely.
|
