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Romania edges United States in World Cup rugby
DUBLIN (AP) -- Romania made the most of a serious injury to United States captain Dan Lyle to score a 27-25 comeback win in their World Cup rugby Group E match Saturday.Flanker Alin Petrache and winger Gheorghe Solomie got two tries apiece to secure a $300 US bonus for each playeron the impoverished Romanian squad.
U.S. fullback Kurt Schuman scored a try with five minutes remaining but scrumhalf Kevin Dalzell missed a chance to tie the game when he pushed his conversion attempt wide from out on the sideline.
"I think 'gutted' is the word to describe this," said U.S. coach Jack Clark, whose team last won a World Cup match in 1987 and has a 1-7 record.
It was Romania's first victory in four attempts against the U.S. and came after the U.S. opened a 17-5 lead early in the second half. The match was considered the only chance for either team to get a victory in a group dominated by Australia and Ireland, who meet today.
Lyle, the Americans' one player of world class, went off with a shoulder injury after 30 minutes, six minutes after putting the team ahead 8-5 with a barging try from close to the line.
Clark said early reports showed Lyle had a shoulder separation and could need an operation, which would keep him out for up to two months.
"He might be the best player on the field so to lose him was very hard on us," Clark said. "But Romania played well and it's time to take it on the chin, it's not time to say 'what if."'
The U.S. led by 12 points after Brian Hightower's try on 41 minutes, but the absence of Lyle showed as Romania overcame its sluggish start to forge ahead.
The match was played out in front of a small crowd at Lansdowne Road, but the fans made plenty of noise as it developed into an exciting match, with both teams opting for running rugby.
The U.S. should have started the scoring within three minutes of the start but winger Vaea Anitoni lost the ball with the line nearby.
A Dalzell penalty gave the U.S. a 3-0 lead but Solomie, whose eight tries in qualifying led Romania into the main draw, got his first of the campaign at 16 minutes, beating a clumsy tackle attempt from U.S. prop Ray Lehner.
Lyle won back the lead for the Americans and Hightower's try seemed to put them out of reach. But with Lyle missing in the pack, the Americans succumbed twice to tries from Petrache off rolling mauls.
Dalzell kicked a late penalty for the U.S.
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