Rugby World Cup: France remain unbeaten

London - Youthful Les Blues side unimpressive in their victory over Romania

A youthful French side maintained Les Blues winning start to the Rugby World Cup with a 38-11 Pool D victory over Romania at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday, giving coach Philippe Saint-Andre plenty to ponder.
After beating Italy, Saint-Andre made 13 changes for the clash against Romania, fielding France's youngest World Cup side for eight years and several players, notably two-try scorer Sofiane Guitoune, shone.
Despite five tries and a bonus point it was not all smooth sailing though as World Cup ever-presents Romania's tireless work stifled the promised French flair.
France's best work came in bursts. Shortly before halftime, with the score 3-3, Guitoune and Yannick Nyanga scored in quick succession with Romania a man short after lock Paulica Ion's 30th-minute yellow card.
Then after the interval when winger Guitoune, who made a telling statement in place of the ruled-out Yoann Huget, and centre Wesley Fofana, who missed the first game with a thigh injury, opened up clear daylight.
Wing Gael Fickou rounded off the scoring for France with a late try to leave them top.
"We wanted to get some tempo, and it was a very slow game. We need to see the video," Saint-Andre told reporters.
"It's important all of the squad were used in the first two games for the spirit within the squad."
In the stadium Usain Bolt lit up in 2012, France made a bright start and went ahead when Morgan Parra slotted a penalty in front of the posts. The pumped-up Romanians seized the initiative though and were unlucky not to score a try when centre Florin Vlaicu dived over a pile of bodies after some desperate French defending on their five-metre line but was ruled not to have grounded the ball, and they settled for an easy penalty instead.
France were rattled and Vlaicu missed a kickable penalty to put his side ahead.
Romania paid a high price when Ion was sent to the sin bin for illegally stopping a French rolling maul with Guitoune, winning his fifth cap, squeezing in at the corner before flanker Nyanga finished off a fine move, Parra converting both.
Vlaicu's penalty on the stroke of halftime gave the Romanians hope but they were unable to make much headway in the second half as France introduced their first-choice forwards.
Guitoune stretched over for his second try of the night after 66 minutes and two minutes later Fofana evaded two tackles to score another with Parra's replacement Rory Kockott converting.
Romania were rewarded for their hard graft with a try for Valentin Ursache, but France provided the final flourish when a side-stepping Fickou waltzed over.
France next head to Milton Keynes to play Canada on Oct. 1 before facing a probable group decider against Ireland in Cardiff on Oct. 11.