After a long time, Serbia is playing at home
Somehow, the draw and the system of the competition turned out to be such that a little more than a year and a half has passed since the last game on the home field. Just to remind you that originally, Montenegro was supposed to compete in group C of the conference, but it withdrew, leaving four teams in the group. We were supposed to be the hosts in that match. Anyway, the wait is over and we finally have the opportunity to watch and cheer on the national team at home.
What does a victory against Turkey bring us?
Victory does not bring us much as a result. After losing to Moldova without winning a bonus point, we are not in a good position to qualify for the play-offs for the Trophy group. Nevertheless, the victory puts us back on the winning track and will definitely boost our morale before the difficult away game in Bulgaria. Before the match with Moldova, the Serbian national team had a streak of 6 victories. Serbia definitely has the role of favorite against Turkey. In all previous matches in rugby 15 we won with a bonus point.
Match information:
Venue: Starčevo, Srbija
Stadium: Starčevo stadium
Date: 13.04.2023. .
Kickoff: 14:00h
Weather: Sunny, 27C
Useful information
Although the start of the match is at 2 p.m., try to arrive a little earlier for the match, do not arrive right before the start of the match to avoid crowds. There is a parking lot in front of the stadium, if you arrive early, you will have the opportunity to park near the stands, you will not waste time looking for a parking spot. Usually everyone tries to get there right before the start of the match, so it can get crowded and you may miss the opening part of the match.
Although the stadium has a covered grandstand, keep in mind that it will be quite warm. We recommend that you bring a cap and a refreshing drink. Although you will be able to buy a refreshing drink at the stadium. The announced temperature is 27 degrees, which is not at all usual for this period.
How to watch the match live?
If you won’t be in Starčevo, you can watch the match live on the website of the European Rugby Federation. The inconvenient thing is that you have to have an account on the site and log in if you want to watch the broadcast. We recommend that you also follow the YouTube account of the European Rugby Federation, it may be available to watch the match there.
3 key things to win
Discipline, running quickly to the ball and covering the field after the shot
Turkey plays some pretty archaic rugby 15’s. their game looks like they are playing rugby sevens. They take penalties from 22 meters out of hand like in the week, they don’t shoot out. If you are not disciplined in defense, they can very often create a serious problem for you, because they have very ready and fast players. However, it is not too difficult to prepare a strategy against such a game, you just need to be sufficiently concentrated in the implementation.
Turks play unconventionally, they often solve situations with irrational shots that can be very dangerous. We believe that it is necessary to put pressure on their attack by running quickly to the ball, where we would give them minimal space for any kind of attack creation. That would force them to kick. Given that they don’t play too much with their hands, we could pull more players into the field to defend shots and participate in counterattacks. In such a game, Turkey has no chance against us and it is very difficult to respond to our quick attacks.
Pressure on the opponent's lineout and scrum
Take every opportunity to put pressure on their scrum and out. If we disrupt their flow of the ball and limit them to not having width in the game, they have no chance against us. Turkey is not a team that can play effectively on the defensive and lives on defense. We should make the most of it. Any pressure in the static, combined with a quick run out in defense, which should increase our possession of the ball.
Attack the space around the ruck
Plain and simple, Turkey defends the space around the ruck poorly and this is an opportunity for the experienced demi that we have, to make quite a difference. That’s why it’s always good for scrumhalf to have support in case he manages to break through the defensive line and win a good part of the field.
