Recovering Romania will prove a genuine test for Irish

ROMANIA, desperately unlucky not to reach the European Championship finals in Portugal next month, will provide stiff opposition for Ireland in tonight’s friendly at Lansdowne Road.

Last month, Anghel Iordanescu's team hammered a much fancied Germany 5-1 in a friendly in Bucharest hardly the sort of preparation the Germans had hoped for in their build-up to the June championships.

Back in September, Romania were within seconds of progressing to the European championship as they led Denmark 2-1in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen in their final group qualifying game.

But Martin Laursen's injury time equaliser knocked the Romanian's from top of the group to third.

As the full time whistle blew, there were a series of unusual explosions all over Romania, later discovered by police to be televisions thrown out windows by bitterly disappointed supporters.

"That was a big set-back and now, like Ireland, we have to get on with our preparations for the next World Cup qualifying campaign," said coach Iordanescu. "The result against Germany was excellent -now we have to build on that platform against the Irish".

The Romanians are in a tough World Cup qualifying group Holland, the Czech Republic, Finland, Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra on the road to Germany 2006.

Apart from the victory over Germany, the Romanians have been on a spectacular recovery programme since that Copenhagen disaster.

Scotland were beaten 2-1 at Hampden Park last March, Georgia 3-0 in a friendly in the Cypriot tournament in Laranaca in February, while last November, there was an impressive 1-0 victory away to Italy in Ancona.

Iordanescu will be in charge of his country for the 77th time tonight.

But he must plan without three key players Adrian Mutu (Chelsea), Cristian Chivu (Roma) and Daniel Pancu (Besiktas).

However, as the recent record proves, the Romanians will still provide a stiff test for Brian Kerr's team.

Romania (panel): Lobont (Ajax), Stelea (Salamanca), Iencsi (Spartak Moscow), Dancia (Torpedo Moscow), Ghionea (Otetul Galati), Barauan (Dinamo Bucharest), Marin (National Bucharest), Dumitru (Steaua Bucharest), Plesan (Universitatea Craiova), Radoi (Steaua Bucharest), Petre (Galatasaray), Alexa (Dinamo Bucharest), Dica (Steaua Bucharest), Soava (Spartak Moscow), Aliuta (Steaua Bucharest), Ganea (Dinamo Bucharest), Neaga (Steaua Bucharest), Danciulescu (Dinamo Bucharest), Constantin (Brasov), Niculae (Rapid Bucharest).