15. Simon Zebo: 8.5
Always looked threatening with the ball in hand and tormented the Romanians with his searing pace and fast feet. Set up no fewer than three tries and denied a superb solo score by the TMO in the first half.

14. Tommy Bowe: 6.5
Powered over the line for two well-taken tries to remind Joe Schimdt that he is still a talented finisher but his performance was not enough to warrant a starting spot against Italy.

13. Jared Payne: 7.5
Did not have as much room to run as he did against Canada but executed the basics brilliantly. Ran hard and straight all afternoon and was rarely stopped short of the gainline. Tackled well and competed for everything on the floor.

12. Darren Cave: 7
Carved through the Romanaian line on several occasions with some clever lines and excellent timing. Saw more of the ball when he shifted to outside centre but stayed strong in defence all afternoon.

11. Keith Earls: 9
Looks fitter and faster than ever and has already established himself as one of the tournament’s most formidable finishers. Heavily involved in almost every attack on the left wing and scored two well-taken tries.

10. Ian Madigan: 7
Rarely struggled to set his backline in motion and was creative throughout, however, he lacked consistency and threw a few wayward passes when confronted by some aggressive Romanian defence. Kicked well off the tee and out of hand though.

9. Eoin Reddan: 6.5
Controlled the tempo throughout and seamlessly switched between feeding the bigger ball carriers for close-quarter carries and providing swift service for the back line. Delivered a perfectly weighted chip for the bonus-point try but looked alarmingly weak in defence and was sent flying by firm fends on a few occasions.

1. Cian Healy: 7
Did not get over the gainline as often as usual because he seemed set on running straight into a very dense fringe defence. However, he was solid in the scrum and will be happy to get more game time under his belt. Surprised many and tarnished his reputation among front row union members with a superb punt in the second half.

2. Richardt Strauss 7.5
Threw really well at the lineout and hit all of his jumpers with 100% accuracy. Made a nuisance of himself at the breakdown and was industrious in the loose. Did not do enough to steal Rory Best’s starting spot but put pressure on Sean Cronin.

3. Nathan White: 8
Worked incredibly hard at the breakdown and rucked his heart out. Central to a strong Irish scrum, put himself about in defence and hit the hulking Romanian ball carriers hard.

4. Donnacha Ryan: 8.5
Looked dynamic and immensely physical in defence and at the breakdwon. Never took a backwards step against an aggressive Romanian outfit and enjoyed a few forays.

5. Devan Toner: 7
Commanded Ireland’s lineout, made a few metres with some dynamic carries and topped the tackle count with 11, but he did not do enough to overtake an in-form Iain Henderson in the pecking order.

6. Jordi Murphy: 6.5
Did not look particularly lively in the loose but imposed himself at the breakdown from the off and spent most of the match fighting for everything on the floor.

7. Chris Henry: 7.5
Henry was tireless in every aspect of the game. Carried his side over the gainline whenever he was called on and made more metres with the ball in hand than any other forward. Had a hand in almost every breakdown, and slowed and stole a lot of Romanian ball.

8. Jamie Heaslip: 7
Lead from the front in typical fashion with a series of surging carries and ensured that the side kept their discipline throughout.

Replacements: 6
Rob Kearney had an immediate impact and scored his second try of the tournament but then suffered a hip injury and is now a doubt for the Italy match. Sean Cronin looked as energetic and explosive as ever but Conor Murray and Paddy Jackson did not get much of an opportunity to make an impact.

By Nathan Hyde (@NathanHyde2)

Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images