Now we can say with certainty that the future of rugby in Serbia is preserved. And not preserved, but also upgraded. And we don’t mean a term from the wild and gray world of real estate. Young rugby players are coming in and slowly taking their place. Оно што је било у домену теорије када смо претпостављали ко ће се и на који начин снаћи у сениорском рагбију, сада је реалност. And we can rub our hands with satisfaction because we know that we managed to create quality young players. Such players will keep coming over the years. It just takes patience and hard work. We wrote all this because we have four players under 23 on the list of the best players in the line. We can say that these players are already established, that they have their place in the clubs and the national team. And that we will follow their further development with great pleasure. If you want to watch 1st part of the article where we selected the best players in scrum positions, you can do that via this link.
15. Ivan Vostić
YOB: 2003.
Position: Fullback
Height: 188cm
Weight: 83kg
Ivan is one of the players who has made dizzying progress in the last year and a half. Since Mišel Milović is at the helm of the national team, Ivan has been a regular member of the national team. Out of 6 games, he was in the team five times. A very young player who made the best use of his chance, and that chance is quality work in the training sessions of the national team. At only 19 years old, he became the leader of Dinamo, where he is the leader of a new wave of Pancevo rugby players who have enormous potential and talent to do great things in Serbian rugby. If we were to analyze Ivan’s game, we wouldn’t be able to find many flaws. When we started with the site, at some point we said that Ivan did not have enough self-confidence and that he was not aware of his capabilities and qualities. Well, that has changed. Ivan really uses his strengths, which is primarily speed, because he is perhaps the fastest player in Serbian rugby. Extremely efficient, he finished 4th in the Serbian Championship on the list of scorers with 62 scored points. In addition to his speed in attack, he reads the game fantastically, so he is often positioned well where he receives the ball in a full run, attacking the space of the opponent’s defense. Excellent in the air, where he dominates with his height, he is confident in catching high balls. He has excellent technique, a well-educated player. In defense, he plays at a high level, an excellent striker. He expects to shine even more next season, as well as the entire young and promising Dinamo team.
14. Aljoša Avramović
YOB: 1999.
Position: wing
Height: 179cm
Weight: 76kg
Although he played as a midfielder in the younger categories, we still think that his ideal position is a winger or a defender, for the simple reason that he can provide the most effective and creative games in those positions. This season he played both in the opener position and in the demi position, but it is a great shame to limit such a player with such physical predispositions. An extremely dangerous player in attack, especially when he receives the ball on a full run in space. Quick change of direction, incredible explosiveness in the first three steps and then speed make him one of the best 1 on 1 players in Serbia. He has an excellent shot that he will use in the best possible way. In defense, he is at a high level, he is an excellent shooter, he positions himself well in the field, he anticipates the opponent’s shot. The counter attack is one of his more lethal features, where with the right support he can be extremely effective. This year, he made three appearances for the Serbian national team. Aljoša has so far made 6 appearances for Serbia, where he scored a total of 36 points, which is 6 points per game. Only two players in the history of SRJ, SCG and Serbia scored more points per game than Aljoša.
13. Predrag Keglić
YOB: 1996.
Position: Center
Height: 190cm
Weight 90kg
Predrag’s physical predispositions allow him to play in the third line as well as in central positions. It is equally deadly in all options. We decided to put him in the center position because he played the most in those positions during the year. A very fast player who has an extremely explosive first step, which gives him an advantage in every contact. He has an excellent overview of the game, where he knows where his teammates are at all times, to whom he often sends the ideal assist or offload pass. A high-tempo player who does everything very quickly and at a high level. When you get the ball from him, you will always get a quick pass, right in front of you so that you don’t lose the momentum of the quick attack and you will get it exactly where you want it, that is, where you put your hands. He also has an excellent tactical kick that he can use effectively. He especially stands out with his game in the air, where one of his specialties is catching high balls. If there is a slightly shorter back player opposite him, be sure that he will make good use of that matchup. Excellent tackler, very mobile in defence. Predrag played in all matches of the Serbian national team this year and was one of the most deserving of the positive result. He played a total of 13 games for Serbia and scored 30 points. At the age of 26, he has already grown into a mature athlete whose best rugby years are ahead of him.
12. Nemanja Stošić
YOB: 2002.
Position: Center
Height: 182cm
Weight: 94kg
Amazing progress in the last year. A player who is developing into a very high-quality option on the central line. Nemanja was one of the best players in the junior class boys born in 2002, who did fit perfectly in the senior competition. He became part of the Serbian national team, for which he made three appearances this year. At club level he was outstanding on both sides of the pitch. Although we have to admit, defensively he was simply fantastic. A very good striker who positions himself even better and closes the opponent’s space, leaving him few options in attack. Excellent in defensive ruck, he anticipates the backdown very well, he is no stranger to pushing past the opponent and thus winning the ball. In attack, he has a very good overview of the game, quick hands and the ability to make the right decisions. When players find themselves in certain situations where the right decision needs to be made, that’s where his experience from the younger categories comes into play. A trained player makes that difference. Confident ball carrier, very stable and strong in contact. He always offers the offload, does a quick presentation and is able to follow up fast rugby at a high level.
11. Velibor Srecković
YOB: 1990.
Position: wing
Height: 182cm
Weight: 96kg
One of the players most responsible for Partizan’s four titles in a row. This season, that streak was broken, but the games were played at a high level. Let’s just remember round 14 game of the Serbian Championship, where Partizan was losing 28-0 20 minutes before the end of the match, and then Velibor and the others added gas and finally reached 21 points, which was not enough for victory, but it is only proof of how the last 20 minutes were played on the match. The captain of the Serbian national team, a player who fits perfectly in the team of Mišel Milović who loves to play with a dominant player on the wing who can solve a 1v1 situation in front of the try. We got that with Velibor, and when we look at the fact that Serbia recorded four victories this season, we can be very satisfied. Velibor is a dominant ball carrier, considering his physical predispositions, it is very difficult to knock him down. If he gets the ball on the rush, where he has enough space in front of him, regardless of the number of opposing players, he always has a chance to score. His trademark is the buffer, where it is very difficult to get into a position to knock him down, even if you do manage to get into a position to knock him down, he always offers the option of an offload pass, where he maintains the continuity of the fast game. Velibor played 7 matches for Serbia where he scored two tries.
10. Nikola Stanković
YOB: 2000.
Position: Flyhalf
Height: 193cm
Weight: 98kg
Definitely one of the players who marked this season. One of the most important screws in the game both at club and representative level. Definitely a player who deserves a lot of credit for winning the title of Serbian Champion. At the age of 22, he became the leader of the Rada game as well as the Serbian national team. This season, he started in three matches for Serbia, in two matches he played as an opener, while in the third match he played second center. For us, he is an ideal second center, but this season he played a lot more in the opening position, so we had to put him in this position. Nikola has so far played 11 matches for Serbia where he scored 53 points. With his height and weight, he is extremely explosive and mobile, especially in penetrations, where he makes the most of his physical predispositions. He has an excellent shot, very good hands and is effective in catching high balls after the shot. An extremely penetrating player who is very difficult to beat. In defense, he plays at a high level, an excellent shooter, very good support for the shooter. Играч је који се и дање развије јер је још увек млад, можемо само замислити какав ће бити када уђе у свој прајм.
9. Borislav Radić
YOB: 1995.
Position: Scrumhalf
Hight: 185cm
Weight: 87kg
If you want to play fast and at a high tempo, a lot depends on your scrumhalf and his game. Borislav is a player who can maintain a very high tempo of the game and force the fast ball. In order to reach the fast game level, you must have a fast crab, that is, complete the crab in 2-3 seconds. With all that, the scrumhalf must always keep an eye on the opponent’s defense and communicate with the other players. Borislav fulfills all of that, where he managed the fast attack of Partizan, which was extremely effective throughout the season. Even, what’s more, when the support in the ruck is late, Borislav knows how to secure the ball very well, which his physical predispositions enable him to do. He reads the game very well, especially the opponent’s defense, where he knows how to punish every mistake. His specialty is finding space next to the ruck, where he can make a huge advantage with a quick penetration that often ends in an try. He has very good hands, a quick and precise pass, changes direction quickly, is very durable and strong in contact. An excellent tackler, a player who can make a difference in defense. It’s very difficult to make a matchup on him because he’s physically strong, so he doesn’t have too much trouble stopping scrum players either. Borislav has just entered his best rugby years and we expect many more quality seasons from him.
