Ireland vs Romania RWC 2015 match report: Keith Earls matches Brian O'Driscoll's try record as Irish hit Pool D summit

Ireland 44 Romania 10

Keith Earls crosses the whitewash to score for Ireland (Getty Images)

Ireland’s second bonus-point win of the World Cup was a routine romp, blighted only by an injury to their first-choice full-back, Rob Kearney, who jarred a muscle in his rear end in the act of dotting down a try barely a minute after coming on as a substitute for the double try-scorer Keith Earls.

Tommy Bowe also went over twice – one of them a very adroit finish by the corner flag after Eoin Reddan’s box kick was brilliantly claimed in mid-air by Earls - to contribute to a 18-3 half-time lead for the reigning Six Nations champions who on the admittedly flimsy evidence of beating Canada and the Romanians have lifted a notch from their patchy form of the summer friendlies. Earls equalled Ireland’s all-time World Cup record of seven tries in all World Cups by Brian O’Driscoll, and Chris Henry scored Ireland’s sixth and last try six minutes before the end, before Romania, claimed a late consolation score in the last few minutes, scored by the lock Ovidiu Tonita, just as they had done in losing 38-11 to Ireland’s principal pool rivals France last Wednesday.

A four-day turnaround for the majority of the Romanian team (similar to Japan’s in Pool B) was a tough imposition although they were all smiles a few minutes after the final whistle when their 30-year-old replacement scrum-half Florin Surugiu, still in his kit and with all his squad-mates looking on, proposed to his girlfriend on the touchline – and was accepted, to judge by the huge hug. “We have managed to show everybody we can compete at this level,” said Lynn Howells, the Romania coach. “We have our semi-final and final coming up with Canada and Italy now.”

The Irish must have felt right at home in this part of north London, where you can see Gaelic games played in the local parks at weekends, and their dominant use of the aerial contest delighted a record attendance for the Rugby World Cup, 89,267. It was also good to see a team regularly passing before contact.

Ireland’s bull of a loosehead prop Cian Healy made a couple of explosive bursts to suggest his readiness for sterner challenges ahead, on his first starting appearance since undergoing a neck operation in early May. He also punted a loose ball downfield by way of variety. With Jack McGrath also in good nick vying for the No.1 jersey, Ireland’s coach Joe Schmidt may feel able to rotate them for the remaining pool matches with Italy at the Olympic Stadium next Sunday and the likely decider against the French in Cardiff a week later.

“We’ll know in the next 24 or 48 hours whether Rob will be available for next week,” said Schmidt, of Kearney. “There were a number of players who will create a selection headache for us - the midfield pairing went well and Simon Zebo’s pass for Keith Earls’s [first] try was exceptional.” Indeed it was: a 20-metre effort off the full-back’s right hand, while Kearney’s try was a lovely team effort in the 65th minute, featuring a smooth loop run by the fly-half Ian Madigan, standing in for the rested Johnny Sexton. Another training-ground routine from a scrum had made Bowe’s second try two minutes previously, both while Romania had centre Csaba Gal in the sin bin. Henry was driven over in a rapidly moving line-out maul.

Schmidt said: “We saw on Saturday that South Africa got back on track and in the England v Wales match there were two teams who could go deep into the tournament. We’re happy to have banked 10 points but we play Italy next, we expect Sergio Parisse to be back for them after injury and we’ll prepare in the best way possible.”

Teams

Ireland: S Zebo; T Bowe, J Payne (P Jackson, 58), D Cave, K Earls (R Kearney, 49-56, 63, C Murray, 71); I Madigan, E Reddan; C Healy (J McGrath, 54), R Strauss (S Cronin, 60), N White (T Furlong, 63), D Ryan (P O’Connell, 63), D Toner, J Murphy, C Henry, J Heaslip (capt; S O’Brien, 60).

Romania: C Fercu; A Apostol (F Ionita, 54), P Kinikinilau, C Bal, I Botezatu; M Wiringi (F Vlaicu, 67), V Calafeteanu (F Surugiu, 67); A Ursache (M Lazar, 67), A Radoi (O Turashvili, 56), P Ion (A Tarus, 54), V Poparlan, O Tonita, V Lucaci (J van Heerden, 60), M Macovei (capt; S Burcea, 67), D Carpo.

Referee: C Joubert (South Africa).