Petrovac na Mlavi becomes a city of rugby
It has been a long time since the U18 national team played a game in rugby 15. Maybe too long. The fact is that the players develop through work in the junior national team and gain special experience that will help them in their further careers. That is why it is of great importance that rugby centers in Serbia work with young people, because working with youth is not a cost, but an investment in the future. One of those clubs is Petrovac na Mlavi, a club that has started, now, their third year in competition. A club that, in addition to the senior selection, also started the younger categories, which will reach the seniors very soon. It is no coincidence that the Rugby Federation of Serbia organized the match of the junior national team in Petrovac, the first is that the people of Petrovac are traditionally great hosts, the second is the rugby center of the future.
Friendly matches instead of competitive ones
For several years now, the European Rugby Federation has not been organizing competitive tournaments for U18 juniors in the format it used to be. We can understand every aspect of such a decision, from the financial one to the moment whether certain selections have a sufficient number of players and competitive selections in that age grade. But we are of the opinion that there must be a way through the competition for all national teams. That is, let a small competition be made in the Balkans, so that the best selection goes on to the European competitions, and so on. The point is that players, in addition to the offered camps and friendly matches, must also have an official competition. Why? Well, the definition of sports and matches is competition.
Serbia’s fast game is an unsolvable enigma for Bulgaria
A week ago, the players of Gavrilović and Nedeljković demonstrated a fast game that was difficult to defend. It was the same this week. The fast hands and the great set-up came from the fact that a week in junior competitions has been played for several half-seasons Of course, there are a lot of shortcomings that are only part of the playing experience and the number of games needed by players who play in rugby 15. We have a paradox that we play rugby 7 in the competition and did not apply for the European Championship in that discipline, but we are part of the camp in rugby 15, where we have not played a single game in the junior competition in the last two half-seasons.
The Eagles started the game at a very high pace. There was not much waiting until the first essay. In 6. minute of the match, Serbia developed a patient game through several phases, where Danijel Stojanović won fifteen meters with an excellent breakthrough, but also gatherd several opposing players around him.. The moment was used by a quick ball to the wing where Milan Kuzmanović got a 1 on 1 situation which he used and scored for 5-0. In 10. the Bulgarians use the indiscipline of our selection and receive a penalty kick in a promising position that they use and reduce to 5-3. This did not disrupt the plans of Serbia, which in 12. minute, he conquers his out deep in the opponent’s 22 meters, then a mole is formed and when Stojanović separates and employs Ognjen Voštić, who scores an try for 10-3.
When we mentioned fast play and good hand play, then we had a chance to see an awesome try in the 20th. minute scored by Dalibor Spasić for 15-3. Great game of a line player where a surplus of players is made. The Eagles continued to attack, and in 34. minute we got a penalty in the middle of the field about 22 meters from the opponent’s goal. Quick execution of the sentence turns Strahinja Adžić into an try. Kuzmanovic is confident in the conversion for 22-3. In the backlog of the first part, again a similar situation as in the previous essay. Again a fast game that is finally used by Marko Košpić for the final result at half time.
Bulgarians are getting rid of the pressure, but Serbia is much better
Finally, the Bulgarians managed to get rid of the pressure. In 43. minute developed a very good attack that uses Jordanov and reduces the score to 27-8. Immediately after the restart of the shot, the Eagles caught the ball and scored a very quick essay through Dragan Kokanović. The same player in the 50. minute he scored a new try, when after the scramble the Eagle’s Ball came to Kuzmanović who assisted Kokanović with a tactical kick. Kuzmanovic is confident in the kick for 39-8.
The duo Kuzmanović – Kokanović is again in the center of attention in the 60. minute, when again after Kuzmanović’s kick, Kokanović scored an try. Then a slightly unclear situation was created where the referee of the match awarded a penalty try but allowed a conversion kick afterwards. But either way, the result is 46-8 for Serbia. By the end of the match, another try by Eagles was seen. Kuzmanović crosses the defensive line again with a kick, but this time he catches the ball himself and scores an try for the final score of 51-8.
Game info:
Date: 08.05.2022. year
Kickoff: 13:00h
Venue: FK Sloga 33, Petrovac na Mlavi
Watch replay: Sport uživo
Main referee: Aleksandar Lelik
Assistant referee: Ognjen Milosevic
Assistant referee: Marija Stojsic
Serbia U18s squad:
Serbia: Dušan Jovanović, Vladimir Brošćanac, Vuk Krivokuća, Veljko Mitić, Uroš Jevđenijević, Igor Švraka,, Nemanja Lazić, Danijel Stojanović, Ognjen Voštić, Strahilja Adžić, Milan Kuzmanović, DRagan Kokanović, Aleksa Jovanović, Marko Košpić, Boris Milojković, Nikola Pumpalović , Strahinja Grubor, Momcilo Kralj, Zlatko Kostic, Jovan Radovanovic, Mihajlo Samardzic, Lazar Andjelkovic.
4 impressions from the match
Great lineout
This seems to be the year of a great lineouts for all national teams. The lineout was at high level. Both defensive and offensive. A static element that makes a difference and that conquers or preserves possession. We are surprised at how the lineout practiced, how the mole formed after the lineout, and generally the flow of the ball out of the lineout. Every serious team must have the option to attack with the maul after the lineaut, the option of special action in the lineaut as well as the option of a fast ball towards the backs. Our U18s are on their way to being a very well-trained team. That is why we are sorry that there are no competitive matches.
Fast balls and high tempo games
In the last twenty years, we have not had a team that plays fast and energetically with the ball, which is able to create opportunities for scoring in almost every attack. We are mostly used to “butcher rugby”, where from half of the playground to the try, with pick and go. What is fascinating for us is the setting and movement of the players without the ball that enable such a way of playing. Both the backs and the scrum players must be very mobile, which in the end they were. We can’t wait to see how this way of playing will be shown against stronger opponents, ie in the match against Croatia, which is scheduled for the fall.
Indiscipline and technical errors
The fast and strong pace of the game makes you make mistakes. If you play without mistakes and fast and strong, we suggest you continue your career in New Zealand. There is certainly room to reduce the number of mistakes that are just a matter of indiscipline, nothing more. A talk with a referee must not be an option, we received two penalties for that. When sentencing against us, the first thing to do is to walk 10 meters from the penalty and be ready to wait for the opponent’s attack, an item that can also be nicely prepared in training. Не можемо да кажемо да је линија офсајда била проблематична, јер су наши били изузетно агресивни у одбрани. But that’s why we can say that there were a lot of mistakes in passing, balls were dropped, some even in key situations. In one attack, it was seen that two players exchanged three or four offloads and eventually lost the ball, instead of forming ruck and attacking in the next phase.
Great pressure in defense
There is nothing better than collective pressure in defense. It took the Bulgarians more the halftime to recover and use a kick against our pressure. We won space in defense, we won the ball, we were extremely aggressive. The goal of every defense is to get the ball, if he can, and to win space for that goal, then great. Then a good counter-attack is formed from a good defense. A recipe that Red Auerbach made 60 years ago with the Boston Celtics and that revolutionized the sport at the time.
