UPDATED Rosu replaces flanker Neculau in Romania team to play Tonga
Romania head coach Eugen Apjok has named his matchday 23 to face Tonga in Lille on Sunday, with hooker Ovidiu Cojocaru to captain a team showing nine changes from the defeat to Scotland. Regular captain Cristi Chirica drops out of the 23 altogether. In a late change, Vlad Neculau is out, with Florian Rosu taking the number six jersey. Stefan Iancu comes on to the bench.
1 Alexandru Savin
2 Ovidiu Cojocaru (c)
3 Alexandru Gordas
4 Adrian Motoc
5 Marius Iftimiciuc
6 Florian Rosu
7 Cristi Boboc
8 Andre Gorin
9 Florin Surugiu
10 Alin Conache
11 Taliauli Sikuea
12 Fonovai Tangimana
13 Tevita Manumua
14 Nicholas Onutu
15 Marius Simionescu
Replacements:
16 Robert Irimescu
17 Iulian Hartig
18 Costel Burtila
19 Stefan Iancu
20 Damian Stratila
21 Gabriel Rupanu
22 Alexandru Bucur
23 Mihai Graure
• Head coach Eugen Apjok has made nine changes to his starting XV and has handed the captain’s armband to hooker Ovidiu Cojocaru who missed the record defeat to Scotland.
• This will be the first time Cojocaru, 26, has captained Romania on the occasion of his 34th test.
• Number eight Cristi Chirica, who has led Romania throughout RWC 2023, drops out of the matchday 23 altogether, with Andre Gorin replacing him at the back of the pack.
• Adrian Motoc is the only Romanian player to have played in every minute of the Oaks’ campaign so far and that record could remain intact as he gets a fourth start at RWC 2023 in the second row.
• Scrum-half Florin Surugiu will draw level with Mihai Macovei as Romania’s third most-capped player (104 caps) – behind Catalin Fercu (109) and his former half-back partner, Florin Vlaicu (129) – after being handed his first start of RWC 2023.
• Simionescu has been sent to the sin-bin in two of his three appearances at RWC 2023, against Ireland and Scotland. He is the only Romania player to have received multiple yellow cards in Rugby World Cup history.
• Backs Alexandre Bucur and Mihai Graure – both recent additions to the Romania RWC 2023 squad – will make their Rugby World Cup debuts if called upon from the bench.