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.