By Jojo Doria

Palmerston North, New Zealand

Romania's World Cup bid is over, but the Six Nations regular competitor returns home having learned some valuable lessons.

Despite being outplayed in their clash with Six Nations rival Georgia, 25-9, Wednesday, the Romanian side is still backing the retention of a 20-team tournament.

According to Romania captain Marius Tincu, there is still the need to compete with experienced and bigger teams in order to improve.

"If you look at the first games of Romania, Russia, Japan and every smaller nation, we all did well for the first hour or so," Tincu said via The Guardian.

"Everyone has the potential but we all need a big investment. If you do not play the big teams, you do not improve but just stay at the same level. I have heard it suggested that lower-tier nations should compete in a tournament below the World Cup," the Perpignan hooker added.

Apart from the retention of the 20-team tournament format, Romania is also urging the International Rugby Board to secure them fixtures against tier-one nations in between World Cups.

Georgia's triumph over their Eastern European rivals in their Poll B basement battle marked their first win of the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Japan will also leave the tournament after a dismal performance, but is expected to be a better team heading into the 2019 edition of the Cup.

"We thought Japanese rugby had improved over the last four years, but we have found out we are far from first class," Tatsuzo Yabe, the chairman of the Japan Rugby Football Union, said via The Guardian.

"We have a huge goal of making the 2019 World Cup a success and to reach that goal Japan must join the top-tier nations at all costs. There are a number of areas we need to improve in and we have to correct them one by one," he added.

Japan, the 2019 hosts of the Rugby World Cup, leaves without a victory in pool play.

The Japanese side was placed in the tough Pool A which featured New Zealand and France.

 

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World - Romania and Japan Take Home Lessons from Rugby World Cup | Global Viewpoint