Rugby World Cup: Ireland v Romania

1. Pool D FT: Ireland 44-10 Romania
2. Bowe 2, Earls 2, R Kearney, Henry tries
3. Tonita try, Calafeteanu pen, Vlaicu con for Romania
4. Click Live Coverage tab for Radio 5 live commentary

Ireland 44-10 Romania

Another top-quality weekend of rugby comes to an end.

And another week is just around the corner.

Next up on your RWC radar is Tonga v Namibia on Tuesday in Exeter.

Wales play Fiji on Thursday, England play Australia on Saturday after Scotland slug it out with South Africa earlier in the day. 

See you there.

'Win shows strength of the squad'

I think we left a couple of opportunities out there but overall very happy with the bonus point win. We talk about the strength of the squad. The strength of this is about the collective and lads took the opportunity today to show that. We can only prepare for what is ahead of us. We will regroup now, turn the page and focus on Italy.

Jamie HeaslipIreland, on ITV Sport

Ireland 44-10 Romania

Simon Zebo had a fine afternoon at full-back for Ireland and, with Rob Kearney limping off and a potential injury concern for their match against Italy next week, stated a strong claim for a starting place.

BBC Sport

Looking ahead

I do not believe Italy will pose Ireland any serious problems next week. I think Ireland will win that one well. The final pool game against France will be the tournament-defining one for Ireland.

Ireland 44-10 Romania

A strong performance from Ireland saw them dominate all the attacking stats, including metres made (511-275), carries (133-93) and defenders beaten (27-7).

Opta

Ireland 44-10 Romania

Ireland are top of the Pool D pops. 

But it feels like we are heading inevitably towards that final match in the pool.

Sunday 11 October. Ireland v France. That is surely where this group will be decided, with the runner-up likely to face the All Blacks in the last eight.

BBC

'Romania made us work'

Romania made us work for it but we are happy with the win. The support here has been amazing. To have this stadium filled out with Irish people has been humbling. We are focused week by week on the games ahead. This is another week where we focused and tried to do the team proud.

Jamie HeaslipIreland

Getty Images

The scrum platform today was good but it will be a bigger challenge against Italy. Ireland need more control and turn the opposition around. And when they find themselves with a line-break they need a better return from their opportunities. They need to put teams away.

Ireland 44-10 Romania

BBC Sport

Full-time

Romania hold out and they have been gutsy and determined all the way until the final minute.

Getty Images

Ireland 44-10 Romania

Ireland are pounding away at the Romania line as the game ticks into injury time. Tommy Bowe just short.

Romania have tired at times and lacked quality in areas but they have battled very hard and will be rightfully proud of the effort they have put in. Overall, it has been a solid performance from them.

Converted try

The big second row Ovidiu Tonita barges through the tackle of Ian Madigan and another Ireland defender like saloon doors and stretches out to get across the whitewash.

Well done sir. 

Florin Vlaicu bangs over the extras.  

Ireland 44-3 Romania

Romania are rallying late in the game. You would have a heard heart to begrudge them a score.

They kick a penalty to the corner for a line-out five metres from the Ireland line.

Reuters

Ireland 44-3 Romania

Leinster centre Fergus McFadden - part of Ireland's 2011 World Cup squad - has been impressed by Keith Earls today.

Fergus McFadden

fergmcfadden

Some achievement from @KEITHEARLS87 equalling @BrianODriscoll's WC try record 👏🏻 #IREvROM #RWC15

5:22 p.m. - 27 September 2015

Converted try

One straight off page one of the playbook.

Ireland lob line-out ball long to Jordi Murphy, setting up a driving maul well out of touchline danger and then put the hammer down.

Chris Henry is at the bottom of the pile for his fourth international try.

Ireland 37-3 Romania

A bit of an injury concern for Ireland as Rob Kearney departs. The full-back picked up a knock in scoring his try and Conor Murray is hurriedly stripped down and shoved on to replace him. 

Reuters

Get Involved

John McEnerney

MackerOnTheMed

#bbcrugby time for the European champs to run amok Romania look knackered 2 more tries minimum needed

5:21 p.m. - 27 September 2015

Ireland 37-3 Romania

A picture, within a picture, within a picture, within a picture...

The cameras pick out Romania coach Lynn Howell, with the television monitor in shot showing Howell's face with a television in the background.

A very surreal scene.

Ireland 37-3 Romania

Ireland have now carried the ball further (1,189 metres) than any other team at the 2015 World Cup.

They're also third for the number of carries, and second for carries over the gainline.

Replacement

Florin Surugiu on for Michael Wiringi as Romania make their last change and freshen up the fly-half spot. 

Ireland really making the man advantage count. A well-executed move down the left from a centre-field scrum.

Get Involved

Andrew Priestley

A_Priestley89

Simon Zebo playing the game of his life this afternoon. Everything he does is positive. #bbcrugby

4:47 p.m. - 27 September 2015

Try

Ireland switch the point of attack, diving down the short side like a spitfire squadron.

Ian Madigan loops around to make the extra man, Simon Zebo puts on the after-burner to turn the Romania defence and flips the ball inside to the supporting Rob Kearney for the score.

Madigan is just wide with the conversion.

Getty Images

Ireland 32-3 Romania

Ireland have spent more than 45% of the match with ball in hand and in Romanian territory, but it's taken them just over an hour to secure the bonus point.

Opta

Tommy Bowe has really answered his critics. He has scored two tries and been workmanlike all around the pitch.

Converted try

A man down, exhausted by their defensive effort, Romania are sinking fast.

A runaround in midfield draws the attention of their backline and Tommy Bowe is free to dot down in the corner.

Madigan adds the extras with another good kick.

Reuters

You would expect Ireland to turn the screw now. When you have a player in the bin, statistically you concede 10 points. Ireland will want to capitalise. This could be a very costly piece of indiscipline for Romania.

Sin-bin

So close! Darren Cave slices through the midfield, hand-off like a piston, and is hauled down just short.

Romania centre Csaba Gal has impeded Eoin Reddan and is going to take a 10 minute sit-down as he sees yellow.

Ireland call for the scrum from the penalty.

Replacement

Sean O'Brien and  Sean Cronin come on in place of Jamie Heaslip and Richardt Strauss for Ireland.

Ireland 25-3 Romania

Ooohmph... Florin Ionita is a lucky fella. The video referee looks over the replays and decides that Paddy Jackson, despite an outstretched leg pointing to terra firma, is still in the air.

But the referee decides as it is a marginal call and takes mercy.

Ireland 25-3 Romania

Too eager. Florin Ionita flies into an airbourne Paddy Jackson and that looks like a nailed-on yellow card.

Craig Joubert is going to get the video officials to check over the incident.

Replacement

Ireland make another switch with Paddy Jackson on for Jared Payne. Jackson comes into 10 with Madigan shunting out into the centres.

Romania have made a raft of changes as well with Otar Turashvili, Florin Ionita and Alexandru Tarus on off the bench. 

Ireland 25-3 Romania

As the Romanian tackle count continues to grow, Mihai Macovei and Viorel Lucaci have both now gone into the top 10 tacklers at the World Cup so far. 

Romania's back row have made 45 tackles between them in this game alone.

Replacement

Cian Healy's race is run. A very impressive return to action from the lead-lined prop. He gives way to Jack McGrath.

Ireland 25-3 Romania

With a decent cushion of points to perch on, this is feeling ever more like an attack training session for Ireland.

They are attempting to bang down the door rather than pick the lock still though. A lot of heft and heavy runners rather than guile and glide to their attacks.

Getty Images

What a fantastic atmosphere there is in this stadium. It is great to see every game so far so well supported. We are seeing the best of the World Cup here today.

AP

Ireland 25-3 Romania

Today's attendance of 89,267 at Wembley is a World Cup record. Up 248 spectators from the previous record set at the same venue when New Zealand faced Argentina last Sunday.

Inpho

Ireland 25-3 Romania

Rob Kearney has immediately been in the thick of things. A mazy run, full of steps, feints and stutters, is ended by a heavy Romanian tackle.

But he is back on his feet and charges down Adrian Apostol's kick. The ball bounces dead off his arms, but Romania will have to scrum it out five metres from their own line.

Just the first signs of fatigue from Romania with their kick chase. They didn't have the organisation. The opening 10 minutes have been very loose and that will suit Ireland. The Romanians don't have the game-management skills to take the punch out of this.