8 takeaways
The high tempo of Serbia's game
The biggest feature of the game that coach Mišel Milović is forcing is a fast game at a high tempo. If you look at the width of Serbia’s game, you will see that all players are involved in the game system in attack. It can be very difficult to defend, especially if the system is such that it can highlight individual quality from collective play, as the Eagles did throughout the match.
It should be especially noted that with this kind of game we went from matches in which we fought and not so rarely lost by small margins to safe and convincing victories. We are very glad that this habit has changed and that we have finally become a winning team. You can easily say that we didn’t have a very tough job against these selections in Conference 2 South. But keep in mind that earlier we were able to suffer defeats from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Andorra and other selections of our level. Once you get the foundations and basics right, it’s very easy to get results.
Perhaps the best example of the high tempo of the game was seen at the very beginning of the match. After the initial pressure from Bosnia, we managed to defend ourselves and shift the focus of the game to the middle of the field. After our good shot, the opponent loses the ball and the referee plays a scrum for us. In 7th minute of the match, when we had the opportunity to see if we had learned the lessons from the previous match in terms of scrum stability.
The scrum lasted and Janko Zemun Milinković sent the ball towards the line. Kaspar Stugar managed to pick up the debris in the race, where he then made a slalom in the defense of Bosnia. At that moment, we had the opportunity to see what it means to play in a high rhythm, just look at the positioning of Marko Gvozdenović who anticipated the offload in a full run, although he didn’t get it, he made an option that would have been a sure essay if it had gone through. The ruck was completed very quickly and the ball was opened to Aleksandar Đorđević, who used a fast ball to Predrag Keglić, who attacked the space between two players, and with an offload, he used Nikola Stanković, who received the ball in a full run, drawing the opponent’s wing and the last player of the defense on himself. Stanković uses a 3 on 1 situation with a school pass and passes to Igor Dejanović who scores an try. Gvozdenović successfully converted for a 7-0 lead.
This kind of action is nothing more than excellent positioning and movement without the ball by our third line. Coaches in modern rugby love it when they have a static restart close to the goal and when a strong winger with a crossball action wins the field and binds the opposing players to himself. Then a fast ruck is formed and the fast ball is released into the field, where you have almost the entire line in the rush along with the third line players.
And coaches love more than anything when your defense can create pressure and score points from that pressure. It is necessary to force a high tempo equally in attack and defense. We had the opportunity to see that in the 13th minute of the match when Đorđević was superb in the breakdown and won a penalty for us some 40 meters from the essay. That did not prevent Gvozdenović from making a safe shot to increase the score to 10-0.
Lineout is still the weapon from which Serbia scores
Hand on heart, we didn’t shine in the car in the game. We had some good actions, we applied pressure defensively, but it was not at the level it should be. However, we had no problems with the flow of the ball, we constantly attacked and forced Bosnia to work non-stop in defense. What could be seen especially in the first part of the match.
The characteristic of great teams is that they are up to the task when it is most needed. Yes, we wrote big teams because we think the national team has grown and matured. After an unsuccessful action from the small, the referee played the penalty again for Serbia. Gvozdenović kicked out again 5 meters from the goal and the Eagles went into action again.
Istok Totić successfully took the out and threw it to the second jumper, that is Aleksandar Krstić, who was kept in the air by the lifters a little longer, just long enough to pass the ball to Kiprijan Đorić, who caught the run and received the ball in the middle of the lineout The action trick did not bear fruit because Đorić was kept at the tryline line itself. The action continued to Alen Ćosović, who received the ball in a rush and was stopped on the try line.
And then the magic happened. Milinković opened the ball to Gvozdenović, who makes an incredible fake and sidesteps to the side, where the opposing player just springs and falls to the ground. Then he slows down, stays on his feet and gives himself just enough time to see the layout of his players, then passes a pop pass to Đorić who is unstoppable this time and scores an essay on his debut for the Serbian national team. Gvozdenović is confident in the kick for 17-0.
The Marko Gvozdenović factor
In the text of the match announcement, we mentioned that Serbia did not lose the match when Marko Gvozdenović played. And not only that, but he was quite efficient, and not only that, but he handed out who knows how many assists. In the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he played as an opener, although his primary position is in the third line, although his size is for the second line. And he played great. His fantastic positioning is no accident, Marco has a long experience of playing at a high level in France. He is also an excellent rugby sevens player, where he was the amateur champion of France.
And now imagine when you have to defend such a player. You don’t know where you will go before. Because it is fantastic in all segments. The theory was proven in practice in 28 minute . Serbia won a scrum on the line 15 meters from the goal line, just outside Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 22 meters. Milinković opened to Gvozdenović, who creates a fake with Stanković and passes to Đorđević, who uses a quick ball to Dejanović, who enters the line and quickly passes to Kaspar Strugar, who uses speed and strength. However, it somehow stopped at the try line itself. Then Milinković opens a fast ball towards Gvozdenović who wins the duel, stays on his feet and scores an try.
Discipline in the game at an enviable level
We’ve said it a thousand times. Here we will say it again. Discipline wins games. When you are disciplined you have a huge advantage over your opponent. And not only that, when you are disciplined, you are maximally concentrated and ready. When you are focused and prepared, then you are much better able to execute the required game plan. Now, imagine when you take all of that into account and add a great game review to it. The result can come in the form of easily scored points.
This is exactly what happened in 36th minute of the match. We attacked again from the lineout in the opponent’s area of the field. Totić threw the ball to Keglic, who forms a maul. Maul advances a few meters, where Ćosović breaks away and is stopped inside the line 5 meters from the tryline. There were 7 Bosnia and Herzegovina players in the immediate vicinity of the ruck at that moment, and none of them were positioned properly. This was used by Milinković who immediately picked up the ball and ran into the try. Gvozdenović was confident in the conversion shot and increased the score to 29-0. Which was also the score at halftime. Who would say.
The mighty scrum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
During the first half, we were quite disciplined and concentrated, so we didn’t give Bosnia and Herzegovina too much space to develop the game they wanted. And it is a dominant scrum that creates a game advantage or a penalty, and a strong physical game based on strong penetrations by scrum players and centers. We mentioned in the announcement that we must not leave room for the mismatches of Bosnia’s great players.
Just such a situation occurred in 47th minute of the match. We had our scrum in our 22 yards. Bosnia blew us away and won a penalty. Then Bosnia made 6 stages and won a penalty with the exclusion of our player. Then the demi of Bosnia executed the penalty and passed to Miralem Lekić, who normally set himself up almost a minute before the execution of the penalty in a low start, and we again failed to collect the defense and turn him back. We somehow managed to stop Lekić at the goal line, but we did not manage Baptista Gafurović, who scored a try from pick eng go. Mahir Bišić converts successfully to reduce the score to 29-7.
Defensive pressure pays off
During most of the game, we didn’t let the Bosnia and Herzegovina team breathe. We put a lot of pressure on the defense, especially in the center line, where they almost never managed to pass the ball to the wings in open play. We narrowed the field and attacked the space defensively. Nowhere in the statistics or in the highlights will you see quality defensive support that leads to the moment of winning the ball. And we will turn it around.
Bosnia had an lineout in the 61st minute in their half. The lineout was not executed well, but Mirsad Fetić managed to catch the ball and start to penetrate. He is immediately knocked down by Milinković and Keglić quickly comes to support the knocker, who makes the difference in the breakdown where the referee calls a penalty for us. Marko Gvozdenović is confident in executing the penalty and increases the score to 32-7.
У 66th minute we had a scrum in the middle on the 22-meter line. Sram was insecure, the ball went out uncontrolled, Milinković was unable to catch it, but he was composed enough to make a pass to Samed Smajlović, who collected the ball perfectly but had no support. He made an additional illegal movement on the ground and the referee called a penalty against Bosnia, which Gvozdenović converted to make it 35-7.
The elusive Kaspar Strugar
Although we expected a slight drop in play after a dominant first half of the match, we did not expect to score a try until the 70th minute of the match. But it was worth the wait, because for us it is the best action in the game. Immediately after Bosnia’s restart from the center, the ball is caught by Krstić, who forms a ruck. Milinković opens for Đorić, who draws two players and passes the ball inside to Strugar, who withstands several contacts and wins a good 30 meters. What is interesting is that Strugar tied 6 players from Bosnia to himself.
Think about the experience and the level of play when you succeed after such a penetration to see off the player, secure the ruck and immediately release the ball at the source to the same side. The ball comes to Đorić again, who again ties two players to himself and passes to Gvozdenović, who passes the pass to Stanković just before contact, who rushes in like a fast train and scores a try for 40-7.
Bosnia and Herzegovina can play at a high tempo
We don’t know what the Bosnian national team was waiting for the whole match, but at the very end of the match they demonstrated how they should have played throughout the match. Maybe it’s nervousness, pressure or just the preparation before the match. Be that as it may, at the end of the match they showed that when they connect the ranks and when they play as they know how, they can be a very difficult opponent.
Serbia was on a defensive level, but we simply could not stop Bosnia’s attacks, which were lined up one after the other. In the end, a penalty was played against us, where again the ball came to the excellent Lekić, who was again stopped on the try line itself. This time Ervin Selimović takes the ball from the pick and go game and scores a try for the final 40-12.
Match information:
City: Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Venue: Kamberovića polje
Game date: 29.04.2023 .
Kickoff: 14:00h
Temperature: Sunny, 20C
Replay: European Rugby Federation website
Conference 2 South information: Tables, schedules and scorers list.
Bosnia and Herzegovina squad
Adis Bašić, Baptist Gafurović 5, Muhamed Kadrić, Adamir Stanković, Alem Haračić, Ervin Selimović 5, Armin Ćerim, Miralem Lekić, Armin Zadić (captain), Samed Smajlović, Sandro Mrgić, Semir Topčić, Adnan Hamzić, Haris Begić, Mahir Bišić 2 , Almedin Buljubašić, Kemal Kadrić, Amel Haračić, Dino Halilović, Vedad Garanović, Emir Mešković, Elvin Spahić, Mirsad Fetić.
Head coach: Enver Imamović
Serbia squad
Vladimir Đukić, Alen Ćosović, Predrag Vraneš, Relja Pećanac, Aleksandar Krstić, Kiprijan Đorić 5, Istok Totić, Predrag keglić, Janko Zemun Milinković 5, Marko Gvozdenović 20, Rajko Janković, Aleksandar Đorđević, Nikola Stanković 5, Kaspar Strugar, Igor Dejanović 5 , Dragan Matijević, Boško Jovanović, Danijel Stojanović, Igor Marinković, Ivan Voštić, Aleksandar Madjanović, Stefan Simović, Stevan Nikolić.
Headcoach: Michel Milović
Coach: Ljubomir Bukvić
Coach: Marko Janković
Coach: Marko Žeravica
Doctor: Srđan Nikolić
Team Manager: Goran Vuković
Serbia won Conference 2 South in the 2022/2023 season
In this competition season, we registered three victories and finished in first place with the maximum number of points. First we defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina with a score of 62-0, then we were better than Turkey with a score of 23-6 and now we won against Bosnia and Herzegovina with a score of 40-12. In the entire competition, we played one match against Montenegro, while we played two away matches against Turkey and Bosnia.
The schedule was definitely not easy because of the away game, but we managed to achieve what we had planned. In three games, we allowed the opponents a total of 18 points, i.e. two tries, two penalties and one conversion. Really impressive defensively, which was not one of the most important characteristics in the previous period.
As for the attack, we can be very satisfied, because we scored a total of 125 points. Of these, 18 tries, 10 conversions and 5 penalty kicks. In addition to the good execution, the high pace and level of play, which made it possible to score a large number of points, is also pleasing.
Serbia has made significant progress on the World Rugby Federation's ranking list
As we wrote at one time in the text from a few months ago. If we beat Bosnia and Herzegovina with a difference of 15 or more points, we can achieve enviable progress in the ranking. Unfortunately, the matches against Turkey and Montenegro are not scored because you do not get points against teams that are not on the list.
If you want to know how points are calculated, we advise you to read our article.
If you want to see the whole list, you can do it on the website of the World Rugby Federation.
Will Serbia be ranked higher?
Nobody knows that. Maybe we can give you answers about the meaning of life, or the behavior of black holes in the cosmos, even what women want from men, just don’t ask us about next season’s European Rugby Federation competition system.
