CSM Baia Mare vs Rapid Bucuresti

Baia Mare led 17-13 at half-time on the back of two tries from taloner Levan Papidze, who was later named player of the match. The champions stretched their advantage in the third quarter, but Rapid — driven by the physical carrying of Fijian debutant Sivaniolo Lumelume and the boot of Tristan Uys — kept the scoreboard ticking.

The giuleșteni pulled level with approximately ten minutes remaining, setting up a tense finale. With the scores locked and the clock deep in the red, Popoaia powered over for a try and calmly added the conversion to snatch the bonus-point win.

"CSM Știința Baia Mare a întrecut-o greu pe CS Rapid București, cu 38-33 (17-13), pe Stadionul 'Florea Dumitrache' din Capitală, printr-o încercare reușită de Paul Popoaia și transformată tot de el în ultimul minut," AGERPRES reported.

Rapid had won three consecutive matches before this round and entered the fixture believing they could claim an historic scalp — they had never beaten Baia Mare in five previous meetings. With Baia Mare missing three players (Gabriel Mic, Alexandru Todică, and Raul Pop) called up to Romania's U20 camp, the opportunity was real.

Baia Mare's scrum, averaging 891 kg in the tight five, began to assert dominance in the second half, forcing penalties that allowed them to build pressure. But the decisive moment was individual: Popoaia's burst through the line and finish under the posts in the 80th minute denied Rapid even a losing bonus point.

• Levan Papidze (Baia Mare) — The Georgian-born taloner scored a brace of tries and was a constant presence in the tight exchanges. Named MVP.
• Paul Popoaia (Baia Mare) — The match-winner. His try and conversion in the last minute turned a likely draw into a five-point win.
• Sivaniolo Lumelume (Rapid) — The 21-year-old Fijian centre, making his debut after signing from Suva Rugby, showed the explosiveness that convinced Rapid to bring him in. A serious attacking weapon going forward.
• Tristan Uys (Rapid) — The full-back's tactical kicking and running from deep kept Rapid competitive throughout.

The 38-33 scoreline (17-13 at half-time) reflects an open, high-tempo fixture typical of this rivalry — the five previous meetings averaged 56.6 points per game. Baia Mare's two-try burst from their forward pack (Papidze ×2) contrasted with Rapid's back-line threats, suggesting the champions' forward dominance was ultimately the deciding factor. Both teams scored in all six meetings between the sides (100% BTTS rate in this fixture).

SCM Timișoara leapfrogged Dinamo to take top spot with 41 points after their 42-35 win over Steaua. Baia Mare sit third on 34 points (10 games), seven behind Timișoara but with a game in hand. Rapid remain fifth on 20 points — likely still within reach of a semi-final spot but with work to do in their remaining four fixtures.

Next up:

• Baia Mare travel to CS Universitatea ELBI Cluj on 5 September.
• Rapid host SCM Timișoara on 5 September, then face Dinamo on 12 September in a critical run-in.

A classic example of the champions finding a way when not at their best. Rapid showed they belong in the conversation for the semi-finals, but Baia Mare's composure and forward power in the closing stages proved the difference. Popoaia's last-gasp brilliance may prove pivotal in the race for the top three.