Oaks field most experienced team ever
Mihai Macovei leads a Romania starting XV with an average age of 29 years 134 days, higher than the 28 years 224 days of the team that started the 3-67 defeat by England at the World Cup 2011.
The starting XV also has an overall total of 684 test appearances, 37 higher than the 647 appearances of the team that started the 24-34 defeat by Scotland at the World Cup 2011.
Only twice before have Romania fielded a starting team with more tests, in the 13-18 defeat by Japan in 2014 (720), and in the 35-9 win over Spain in 2015 (687).
There is just one change from the team that played in their final 2015 warm-up match – the 16-21 defeat by Tonga in Bucharest on September 5 – with Mihaita Lazar at loosehead prop in place of Andrei Ursache, who moves to the bench.
Tighthead prop Paulica Ion and flyhalf Danut Dumbrava will both equal the Romania record (held by World Cup 2011 head coach Romeo Gontineac) of playing in four World Cups, while Ovidiu Tonita could join them if he comes off the bench.
Only Gontineac (14) has played more World Cup matches for Romania than Tonita (12), who was also a member of Romania’s squad for 1999 global showpiece, but did not play.
Twelve of the matchday 22 from Romania's last World Cup match, the 9-25 defeat by Georgia in 2011, are involved this time, with Macovei, Lazar, Ion, Dumbrava, Madalin Lemnaru, Florin Surugiu and Valentin Ursache all starting again.
Valentin Poparlan and Florin Vlaicu, who were on the bench in 2011, also start against France. Csaba Gal and Tonita, who started against Georgia in 2011, are now on the bench and Valentin Calafeteanu retains his place on the bench from 2011.
Romania: 15 Catalin Fercu, 14 Madalin Lemnaru, 13 Paula Kinikinilau, 12 Florin Vlaicu, 11 Adrian Apostol, 10 Danut Dumbrava, 9 Florin Surugiu, 8 Mihai Macovei (captain), 7 Viorel Lucaci, 6 Valentin Ursache, 5 Johannes van Heerden, 4 Valentin Poparlan, 3 Paulica Ion, 2 Otar Turashvili, 1 Mihaita Lazar.
Replacements: 16 Andrei Radoi, 17 Andrei Ursache, 18 Horatiu Pungea, 19 Ovidiu Tonita, 20 Stelian Burcea, 21 Valentin Calafeteanu, 22 Ionut Botezatu, 23 Csaba Gal.
Date: Wednesday, September 23
Venue: Olympic Park, London
Kick-off: 20.00 (19.00 GMT, 21.00 French time, 22.00 Romanian time)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
