Record home win but Wales fail to impress

Wales 81 Romania 9

It seems ridiculous to talk of small margins when the chasm dividing cash-rich Wales from destitute Romania is wider than the Black Sea. But two fourth-form howlers by the visiting loose forward and captain, Alin Petrache, betrayed a proud and committed first-half effort by the outsiders here last night and effectively handed David Young's side a record home victory they scarcely merited. Such is the cruel and unforgiving way of modern international rugby.

Inspired by a scavenging display of lunatic bravery from the open-side flanker Daniel Iacob and some prime kicking by Ionut Tofan, their excellent outside-half, Romania reached the end of the first quarter on level terms, and were 6-3 up after 22 minutes. It was then that Petrache spilled Stephen Jones' restart – an unforced error that resulted in an opening try for the Lions wing Dafydd James. Tofan then reduced the arrears to a point with his third penalty, only to see Petrache repeat his butterfingered fumble. The Welsh forwards rolled a maul from the scrum, and Chris Wyatt was promptly awarded the killer score, even though he appeared to ground the ball a centimetre or two short.

Any hope Petrache's team had harboured of matching their famous Cardiff triumph of 13 years ago evaporated at that moment; by the break, Colin Charvis had combined cleverly with Geraint Lewis to score a third try, and Jones had rubbed it in with a penalty. Without exception, Romanian victories over major rugby nations during the 1980s were based on powerfully efficient forward play, a big kicking game from half-back and secure, if uninspired, handling from one to 15. Last night, their lack of precision played into the hands of fitter, faster and fully professional opponents.

Not that the early Welsh work was worth much in the way of wages. Gavin Henson, the 19-year-old Swansea outside-half, did not look remotely composed on his first Test start, and it was not until he disappeared with a hip injury, thereby allowing Jones to move from inside centre to stand-off, that the Red Dragonhood smartened up their act. At least there were some characteristically inventive touches from Lewis, whose handling skills often defy belief.

Romania would have been in close touch at the break, but for their captain's inability to catch a simple high ball, and while that embarrassment did not materialise, Graham Henry and his fellow selectors will not have been blind to its potential. There was too much sloppiness in midfield and too much indiscipline at the breakdown for Henry to have celebrated in any sort of style, even though Charvis, one of the coach's more disenchanted Lions during the summer, completed a rare flanker's hat-trick in a processional second half.

In one respect, Charvis has learned little from the Lions experience: he still concedes penalties by the gross in the tackle area, largely through over-enthusiasm rather than malicious intent. But he is one of the few Welsh loose forwards blessed with the physical presence required to stack up against the Richard Hills, Toutai Kefus and Andre Venters of this world. For all Iacob's selflessness in the areas of heaviest traffic, Charvis stood head and shoulders above the rest around the park.

There was something to be said for the free-running Rhys Williams, too, although the lop-sided encounter that developed after the interval was right up his street. Williams, a career full-back, spent his evening on the right wing as a result of the reshuffle caused by Henson's departure, and he revelled in the space afforded him by that crafty old so-and-so Allan Bateman. However, nothing that occurred last night suggested he might contribute similarly in the rough and tumble of a serious match. Henry will only discover the solution to that conundrum by picking his most gifted attacking runner against Ireland next month.

As for the Romanians... well, Twickenham awaits them in November. It is a thankless task for a rugby nation shorn of pretty much everything that once made them useful: money, players, international support. It is not an edifying prospect.

Wales: Tries James 3, Charvis 3, B Williams 2, Wyatt, Bateman, C Quinnell; Conversions Jones 10; Penalties Jones 2. Romania: Penalties Tofan 3.

WALES: K Morgan (Swansea); G Thomas (Bridgend), A Bateman (Neath), S Jones (Llanelli), D James (Bridgend); G Henson (Swansea), R Howley (Cardiff); I Thomas (Ebbw Vale), R McBryde (Llanelli), D Young (Cardiff, capt), C Wyatt (Llanelli), A Moore , C Charvis (both Swansea), G Thomas (Bath), G Lewis (Swansea).

Replacements: R Williams (Cardiff) for Henson, 23; B Sinkinson (Neath) 50; B Williams (Neath) for McBryde, 59; D Peel (Llanelli) for Howley, 69; C Quinnell (Cardiff) for Moore, 70.

ROMANIA: G Brezoianu (Bégles-Bordeaux); I Teodorescu (Cluj Univ), N Oprea (Dinamo Bucharest), C Lupu (Dinamo Bucharest), V Ghiol (Dinamo Bucharest); I Tofan (Steaua Bucharest), L Sirbu (Steaua Bucharest); D

Dima (Castres), S Demci (Dinamo Bucharest), M Socaciu (Rovigo), M Dragomir (Dinamo Bucharest), V Nedelcu (Dinamo Bucharest), M Bejan (Rulmentul Birlad), D Iacob (Farul Constanta), A Petrache (Dinamo Bucharest, capt).

Replacements: M Ciolaca (Albertville) for Tofan, 43; L Dumitrescu (Steaua Bucharest) for Bejan, 51; P Toderasc (Farul Constanta) for Socaciu, 64; S Soare (Dinamo ) for Dima, 75.

Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).