The impression of Romanian rugby has long been one of a once proud nation trapped in a spiral of decline. Long gone are those halcyon days when they sometimes scalped but almost always scared the Five Nations.

It was a telling reminder of how far they’d come, but also of their apparent place in the game. At the end of Gibraltar’s 7-0 defeat to Poland back in September, the tiny territory’s players obviously went to swap shirts with the opposition.

Wolves have signed teenage striker Jake Cassidy from Welsh Premier League club Airbus UK Broughton after he impressed in a trial.

PAT DEVLIN’S tireless service to Bray Wanderers has been rewarded with the respected coach being named as manager of an U21 eircom league selection that will participate in a Four Nations tournament in Aberdeen next month.

The eircom League has announced that Bray Wanderers manager Pat Devlin has been selected as manager to the Republic of Ireland squad for this year’s Four Nations semi-professional tournament.