Eagles tumble

Romania edges U.S. in Group E thriller

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Posted: Thursday October 14, 1999 07:51 PM

American flanker Fafita Tasi Mo'unga (left) tries to tackle Romania's Constantin Stan. AP

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNN/SI) -- The crowd chanted 'USA' but Romania, which has proven to be one of the surprise teams of the tournament made a late charge to win the match.

Romania showed its mettle when it went into the dressing room at the interval trailing by 12 points (17-5) and came out in the second half ready to do battle with the Americans.

The Europeans also made the most of a serious injury to United States captain Dan Lyle to score a thrilling 27-25 comeback win in their World Cup Group E match at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Lyle, the Americans' one player of world class, went off injured 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 injury 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.'"

Flanker Alin Petrache and winger Gheorghe Solomie got two tries apiece to secure a US$300 win bonus for each player in the impoverished Romanian squad.

United States 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. The match was considered the only chance for either team to get a victory in a group dominated by Australia and Ireland, who meet Sunday.

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 between the two poorer cousins of Group E was played out in front of a tiny 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.

Promoters might have hoped for a few more fans seeking novelty value or consolation for missing tickets to Sunday's big match. But their chances disappeared with Ireland's soccer team pitted against Macedonia in a decisive European Championship match that was televised at the same time.

Romania started badly and captain Tudor Constantin, who plays club rugby for Racing of Paris, looked out of shape in his first match since an ankle injury on Aug. 14.

The U.S. should have started the scoring within three minutes of the start but winger Vaea Anitoni spilled 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 on 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 to get the U.S. within a converted try of a tie, and the pro-American crowd helped push Schuman over the line with their chants of `U.S.A.'

United States

Romania

 

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.