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After conceding five-tries at the hands of Bath at Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest Wolves welcome Cammi Rugby Calvisano to Romania on Saturday.
The Wolves were put to the sword by the Pool Three favourites last Saturday but will be able to take confidence from 17-points they racked up, including tries from captain Florin Surugiu and Cristian Munteanu.
They have never met with Calvisano, a team with a rich history in European competition, but know they must win to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages for a first time.
Meanwhile Calvisano will still be seething from their slender 36-31 home defeat to Agen.
Following a three-year absence from European competition, the Italians trailed by two converted tries at the interval. But they launched an impressive second-half comeback and took the Top 14 outfit to the wire and claimed a losing and try-scoring bonus-point.
They boast a wealth of international experience and will again look to former Italy scrum-half Paul Griffen to pull the strings. Griffen started at fly-half last week and contributed 11-points as his teammates ran in four tries.
With European giants Stade Francais and Agen making up the remainder of Pool Three, Andrea Cavinato’s men must pick up something in Romania to stand a chance of progression
Flanker Vasile Rus gave Bucharest Wolves the dream start with a try after just one minute as they bounced back from their 40-17 defeat by Bath Rugby in Round 1 – also at Arcul de Triumf – in real style.
They scored six of the nine tries in a thoroughly entertaining Pool 5 contest to take maximum points from a 42-27 victory over Cammi Rugby Calvisano.
Left wing Ionut Botezatu got their second try of the half 34 minutes later, those scores sandwiching a try by Calvisano’s inside centre Andy Vilk.
Outside-half Andrea Filip added two penalties and a conversion for the home side with former Azzurri scrum-half Paul Griffen – doing the No 10 duties – on target with matching kicks.
Filip increased Bucharest’s lead with their third try early in the second period but Griffen responded with a try he converted himself to cut the Wolves’ advantage to just three points.
But hooker Tura Turashvili crossed to bank the try bonus point for the Wolves, replacement outside-half Mike Wiringi converting.
Cammi Rugby Calvisano, who took a losing bonus point from their 36-31 home defeat by Agen, kept plugging away and, although Madalin Lemnaru and Wiringi crossed for the home side, prop Andrea Lovotti got Calvisano’s third to round off something of a try fest.
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