The canny New Zealander, who has earned a reputation as one of the most thoughtful men in the game, will use Sunday's clash at Wembley to take a long, hard look at the men who played little or no part in the opening 50-7 demolition of Canada.
After making 12 changes, resting such key contributors as flyhalf Johnny Sexton and loose forward Peter O'Mahony, Schmidt said the men he had called on to face Romania knew they had to deliver.
"There’s a realisation from them -- particularly after viewing Wednesday evening’s game, with Romania playing France -- that it's an opportunity, but also a massive responsibility, to ensure that we get the result, and that’s going to take a bit of work," the coach said.
Schmidt will be particularly keen to assess the continued return to peak fitness of Cian Healy, who will start at prop in the Pool D clash.
The British and Irish Lion missed all of Ireland's warm-up games with a neck injury and returned to action for the first time since April as a replacement against Canada.
“Cian is always an asset, whether he’s in the starting team or off the bench," Schmidt said.
"I think he came off the bench mostly through the Six Nations, but the one start he did get, against Scotland, he got two turnovers in the first 20 minutes on the ground.”
The teams last met 10 years ago at Lansdowne Road, with Ireland emerging 43-12 victors.
Romania fullback Catalin Fercu started that game and Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray said he was one to keep an eye on.
"He's well capable of countering, with their wingers as well. Both their nines are quite dangerous as well. If they get into broken play they really back themselves, especially after a line break or something like that," Murray said.
Fercu is still one try from becoming Romania’s record try-scorer, having been stuck on 28 for 17 tests stretching back more than two years.
Romania coach Lynn Howells has made eight changes to the starting team that lost 38-11 against France on Wednesday.
Teams:
Ireland: 1-Cian Healy, 2-Richard Strauss, 3-Nathan White, 4-Donnacha Ryan, 5-Devin Toner, 6-Jordi Murphy, 7-Chris Henry, 8-Jamie Heaslip (captain), 9-Eoin Reddan, 10-Ian Madigan, 11-Keith Earls, 12-Darren Cave, 13-Jared Payne, 14-Tommy Bowe, 15-Simon Zebo.
Replacements: 16-Sean Cronin, 17-Jack McGrath, 18-Tadhg Furlong, 19-Paul O'Connell, 20-Sean O'Brien, 21-Conor Murray, 22-Paddy Jackson, 23-Rob Kearney
Romania: 1-Andrei Ursache, 2-Andrei Radoi, 3-Paulica Ion, 4-Valentin Poparlan, 5-Ovidiu Tonita, 6-Valentin Ursache, 7-Mihai Macovei (captain), 8-Daniel Carpo, 9-Valentin Calafeteanu, 10- Michael Wiringi, 11-Ionut Botezatu, 12-Csaba Gal, 13-Paula Kinikinilau, 14-Adrian Apostol, 15-Catalin Fercu
Replacements: 16-Mihaita Lazar, 17-Otar Turashvili, 18-Alexandru Tarus, 19-Johannes van Heerden, 20-Stelian Burcea,
21-Florin Surugiu, 22-Florin Ionita, 23-Florin Vlaicu
(Editing by David Goodman)
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