Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful
What’s happening here?
It’s December 10, 1988, and Romania scrum-half Daniel Neaga is throwing out a textbook dive pass at Cardiff Arms Park, hotly pursued by Wales scrum-half Robert Jones and flanker Richie Collins. Wales, the reigning Five Nations champions and a side that had finished third in the World Cup the previous year, were well beaten on the day going down 15-9 to the Oaks. Hooker Gheorge Ion scored their try and fly-half Gelu Ignat added a conversion and three penalties.
What’s the story behind the picture?
Rugby missing the bus is the main theme! This is one of the last shots fired in anger by a Romania side that if there had been a World Cup in, say 1983, might well have been contenders for the title. They comprised mainly those playing domestically for the Romania Army, Rail and company sides and others who had based them- selves in France where there was a large ex-pat Romania population and you could earn a decent living as a “mercenary”.
Romania had been on a roll for a long time, since the 1950s in fact.
Between 1960 and 1989 Romania defeated France on seven occasions with a then world record crowd of 95,000 watching the 1957 game in Bucharest when the French won 18-15. In 1957 a 51,000-crowd watched Dinamo Bucharest defeat a touring Swansea side while in 1962 Grivita Bucharest won the FIRA European Cup beating Mont de Marsan, who were enjoying a big season that year having won the Yves du Manoir that season.
Romania had thumped Wales in Bucharest in 1983 and in 1984 they defeated Grand Slam winning Scot- land. Those were the halcyon days with so much strength in depth in the squad. In 1980, for example, they undertook a short tour of Ireland and England and thumped Munster 32-9 at Thomond Park, beat Ulster at Ravenhill, drew 13-13 with a full strength Ireland XV – Ireland snootily refused to award caps – and then dismantled Leicester 39-7 at Welford Road in a game to celebrate the Tigers centenary. The Oaks were formidable.
In 1981 they went down 14-6 to New Zealand in Bucharest, something of a travesty as they appeared to have two tries disallowed for no apparent reason. One is there on YouTube with a four-man Romanian flying wedge – legal in those days – splattering the All Blacks defence and going over virtually unopposed from a tapped penalty. You can look at it 100 times and it’s a try every time. In 1985 they lost just 22-15 to England at Twickenham with debutant Rob Andrew saving England’s bacon with a nerveless kicking performance.
Iconic Rugby Pictures:
PART 62
Daniel Neaga in full flight for Romania against Wales December 10, 1988
What happened next?
Romania, despite or perhaps because of the December revolution of 1989, went on a final tear trying to make their case for inclusion in the Five Nations. In 1990 they claimed a famous 12-6 win over a fully locked and loaded France in Auch and in 1991 they beat Scotland again but these were the death throes of a dying beast. After that they had nothing to give.
“Romania were left to wither on the vine because they weren’t wanted by the blazers”
Why is the picture iconic?
For me it’s the sheer bloody frustration and poignancy that this picture evokes. Romania, a nation full of powerful athletes and highly-skilled players, were allowed to wantonly wither on the vine because they were not members of the Five Nations’ cosy club, the cartel that has usurped the running of European rugby and would allow no challenge to their hegemony. As a rugby fan that still annoys and irritates. Neaga was a very fine player, the Oaks were a strong side but they had nowhere to go, they weren’t wanted by the blazers. They were Eastern bloc, Cold War allies of Russia, and they threatened the Five Nations powerbase and supremacy. Slowly and surely they were sent to Coventry.
Bucharest in January or February was not a trip the tournament wanted to contemplate and there was also a strong whiff of professionalism about their best players effectively being “full time” sportsmen in the Romanian Army although frankly they were still beginners compared with the rampant professionalism already evident in France and the top dollar you could earn as a visiting professional in Italy. And of course nobody in Welsh club rugby ever got paid a penny for playing! So you look on at this textbook dive pass, beautifully captured by Russell Cheyne who was one of the best snappers of his generation, and wonder what might have been,
Footnote: Captaining Romania this glorious day in Cardiff was flanker Florica Murariu, a serving soldier, who was killed in the revolution in 1989 along with five other former Romania players. As for Wales it was perhaps a harbinger of very tough years ahead. Their skipper that day Jonathan Davies soon went north, to be followed by John Devereux and Dai Young. The glory years, for the time being, were well behind them.
