Romanians fearful of being cut adrift

If you want to be realistic about it, there is little chance of us beating both France and Ireland in the space of five days

Lynn Howells has never sidestepped a challenge in a lifetime of rugby, but even he admits that playing this week against France and Ireland - five days apart - could be a bridge too far for his Romanian side.

Especially when you consider it will be the first time his side has played against a Tier 1 nation since the last World Cup in New Zealand four years ago. There was a time when Romania were a match for any of the teams in the Six Nations, but now they are very much among the ‘also-rans’, trapped in a rugby twilight zone.