We do not have any information about what the U18s representative duties will look like. We assume that it will be something similar to this year, that a development camp will be held, and then test matches will be played. We believe that if the number of matches like this year were to be repeated, it would be the right thing, and if they played an additional game, it would be a fantastic bonus.
A total of five clubs from Serbia worked with U18s and participated in the competition. Admittedly, that competition was in rugby 7, but still very good rugby was played. We believe that during the season some matches in rugby 15 should be played, but unfortunately the number is not so great that something like that could be carried out and be successful. With rugby 7, the most losers are the scrum players who cannot come to the fore in the rush with the backs all over the field.
We decided to create a team according to our taste, that is, how we would like the U18 national team to play. We watched almost all the U18 junior tournaments as well as the U18 matches of the Serbian national team that we played against Bulgaria and Croatia. We also covered the U16s competition, where the class of 2006 is performing. We watched the games of all the candidates for the national selection and we think we have put together a very strong team. Our idea is to play fast, to set up a game system that requires a high tempo, but that it should be a tempo that the players will be able to handle. It is not our idea to develop players to play “butcher’s” rugby in the younger categories, because that is exactly the way the game is played, which turns players away from rugby. When we say butchery, we mean a one-man game based on strong contacts, and whoever is fitter and stronger wins. A brutal way of playing that certainly won’t keep young people in rugby. But back to our list, we have selected 15 players who we believe would make the most lethal lineup, and who are capable of playing quality at a high level. We will certainly explain this later in the text, if you want to debate with us and others on this topic, you are free to join our WhatsAPP group.
A large number of options in the prop position
It is interesting that the players of the first line have quite adapted to domestic competitions that are played in rugby 7. Players have become incredibly mobile and very good with their hands. And when you have highly mobile posts and tacklers, that’s one of the foundations of modern rugby. Where we are behind is the game in the scrum, where the players have very little experience. Contrary to this claim, the scrum of the U18 national team was dominant both against Bulgaria and against Croatia. But again, you should always strive for a higher level.
The choice of columns fell on Ognjen Siljanovski and Dusan Jovanović. Both players are extremely mobile, solid in contact on both sides of the court. Here we mean both attack and defense. Skilled players who can play in the system and who can push the fast game. They have very good hands that allow them to always offer offloads in contact. Great support players. Physically they are exceptional and can be dominant in the scrum. When you have a mobile first line, which is at a high level both in attack and defense, then you have a team for big things. Dušan Jovanović played a match against Croatia, where we pushed the opponents every scrum, had a clean ball and exerted enormous pressure on the opponent.
We had quite a number of players who play in the positions of the first line, and who can very well take their place in the team. First of all, we think of Nemanja Milenković from Dinamo, who we can safely say is a generational talent. However, he was injured in the first game of the first tournament in 2022. , and he hasn’t trained since March. He managed to recover from his injury in the meantime and the big question is whether he will be ready for the national team. Also on our short list is Matija Mladenović from Kruševac, who is physically extremely strong and can play at a high level. He appeared in the first lineup against Croatia, but at the very beginning of the match he left the field due to an injury. One of the players for whom time is working is Nikola Šmigić, a player from Rad, who has yet to show his talent in the post position. We must also mention Luka Cvejić from Borc, whom we haven’t seen for a while, but that’s why Darko Milošević is here, gathering experience from match to match.
The position of the hooker is cemented
As far as we are concerned, in the class of 2006 we had three players who played at a very high level at the linebacker position. We say had, because unfortunately, one of them did not return to rugby after the injury. However, our choice in the first line-up is Petar Arnautović. We haven’t seen a cleaner and more accurate throw in lineout for a long time. Excellent at scrummaging. Very good in open play, has good overview of the game and is very mobile. Physically, he is at a high level and is capable of playing in a system that forces a strong tempo.
Andrija Janjić is a top player, who is first of all decorated with incredible self-sacrifice in defense and the fact that we think he never dropped the ball in attack. An excellent tackler, who wins in the vast majority of contacts. He is very good at throw in the ball in lineout and scrummaging. A player who can be used equally well in the position of the third line, especially on the closed side. Nevertheless, the choice for the first line-up fell on Petr because of his height and compatibility with the first line.
The third player we mentioned is Ivan Dumitru, who broke his leg in the spring part of the season and we did not see him in the autumn part. At least we didn’t see him at the tournaments we attended. A player who is certainly one of the most penetrating in the younger categories, and that in the last ten years. Exceptional physical predispositions, very fast, excellent turn. He is solid in statics, but that’s why discipline is a big problem. But an incredible talent, if he had done the past half-season, we would have no doubts.
No worries about the second and the third line
Believe it or not, we finally have a great selection of senior rugby players in the second line. We can say that we thought a lot about who would be in the starting line-up and came to the conclusion that the most effective would be Aleksa Pumpalović and Lazar Jelisavčić, both players of BRK Crvena Zvezda. Both players are very mobile and extremely penetrating. Great choices for lineout jumpers. Strog ball carriers. More importantly, confident ball carriers. Excellent in contact.
As for the third line, we didn’t have too many dilemmas. We believe that the third line consisting of Vuk Simić, Nikola Begunić and Lazar Švraka would be deadly for the opponent. They are all exceptional tacklers and very good defenders. We place a special emphasis on collective defense, which would not give the opponent too much space for loose play. They can absolutely respond to any physical challenge, even against physically superior teams. They have a very good knockdown technique. They are very mobile and penetrating in attack. All third line players can jump and lift in the lineout.
We must also make a special mention of Nikola Pumplović, a Zvezda player, who could very easily find himself as a starter, we mean both the second and third lines. If we put him in any position, we would absolutely not make a mistake. Among the other players, there is also Matej Petrović from Rad, who can be up to the task if given the chance. There is also Noah Gruetzmacher, who does not have the right to play for our team because he is a citizen of the United States of America, and if he meets the requirements, he would definitely be in the starting line-up.
The backs - a huge weapon in the hands of the coaching staff
You can have the best weapons in the world but if you don’t know how to use it, it becomes totally useless. What we have in the class of 2005 and 2006 at the line position, I don’t think we’ve had in a while. In order to convey our impression to you, we will try to present the entire line as a whole so that you can see our arguments. And yes, we wrote with out jars droped.
The whole concept we were guided by is a high-tempo game. His quick game creates favorable situations so that our attacking options can use their full potential. We put Vojin Simonović and Igroj Gajić, a duo from Rad, in the positions of playmakers, i.e. scrumhalf and flayhalf. Players who are able to play at a very demanding level, players who read the game very well and who are able to conduct and control the tempo. Disciplined players. In defense they are exceptional as well as in attack, but in attack they have a killer mentality.
At the first center, we decided to put Milan Vesković, for whom perhaps that position is not primary. But our idea is for him to be the second playmaker. Some would say we are fans of Eddie Jones tactics. A high pace player who can cause total havoc in the opposition defence. He has an excellent shot, has fast and sure hands, very good in defense, because he played in the position of fullback for a long time. Extremely fast player. Last year we had big problems with moving the ball to the line, where the ball was extremely slow and where we did not use all the attacking potential. In this setup, we get an extremely fast game with very fast balls.
It is precisely our goal to use our attacking options in the second center, on the wings and in the rear, with quick actions and at a fast pace. At the other center, we believe that Ognjen Voštić, who is an extremely penetrating and persistent player, would contribute the most. Against the Croats, he brought advantage when he entered the game. Physically at a very high level, very fast, strong ball carrier. A real modern outside center. Now, we consider it a great luxury to be able to put Dragan Kokanović in the wing position. A player of his quality would be almost unstoppable in a fast game formation. We simply do not see a way in which the opposing defense could stop Dragan, who would get the ball into the space in a full run. On the other wing, we chose Dalibor Spasić from Borac. Man of task. Safe, stable and high quality. By the way, very fast and very good in defense. At the fullback of Matija Pelva, perhaps the fastest player in this team, an exceptional striker, a high-tempo player. Extremely effective and dangerous in attack and impenetrable in defense. If we had such a set of wings and defenders in our team, we believe that they would shut down the opponent’s game both on the ground and in the air. And in attack, they would have absolute supremacy in the field.
Although we have chosen an extremely potent first line-up, we have very serious and quality players who, in our opinion, could very easily find themselves in the first line-up. First of all, we think of Aleksandar Avdiović, the playmaker of Borac, who has been playing at a very high level for many years, and who is adorned with a very good tactical shot. In the demi position there is Kruševac player Yorgos Kostopoulos, but we think that he will still decide to play for Greece. There is also Strahinja Glišić from Rad, who can play well in several positions. We have to point out that we narrowly decided that Spasić will play on the wing. There is also Jovan Radovanović, a fast winger from Borca, who is determined by his speed and good play in the air. But he’s pretty unremarkable defensively, which was the reason we didn’t pick him in the top 15. Another universal player who can cover several positions is Luka Đorđević from Kruševac. A fast player who reads the game very well.
What can we expect from this team?
Above all, high-tempo play, that’s why we set the team with players in these positions. Fast and disciplined game, players who do not jump out of the system. If this team trains well and if it is complete, we do not clearly see their ultimate range. If a good result is achieved in the matches after the camp (if there are any), it will be a real shame if we do not organize additional matches for them.
We also note that there are a lot of quality players abroad at this age, who can become an integral part of this team. Just remember at what level Uroš Pucar played the match against Croatia. In any case, junior rugby will be very interesting next season, and we plan to cover as many tournaments and games as possible. And we recommend you, the readers, to follow and enjoy the quality prospects of Serbian rugby.
The U18 team of the Serbian national team for the 2023 season:
15. Matia Pelva
Position: Fullback
YOB: 2005.
Club: RK Rad
14. Dalibor Spasic
Position: Wing
YOB: 2005.
Клуб: Крило
13. Ognjen Voštić
Position: Center
YOB: 2005.
Club: RK Dinamo 1954
12. Milan Vesković
Position: Center
YOB: 2006.
Club: RK Rad
11. Dragan Kokanović
Position: Wing
YOB: 2005.
Club: BRK Crvena Zvezda
10. Igor Gajić
Position: Flyhalf
YOB: 2006.
Club: RK Rad
9. Vojin Simonović
Position: Scrumhalf
YOB: 2006.
Club: RK Rad
8. Igor Švraka
Position: Number 8
YOB: 2005.
Club: RK Rad
7. Nikola Begunić
Position: Flanker
YOB: 2006.
Club: RK Dinamo 1954
6. Vuk Simić
Position: Flanker
YOB: 2006.
Club: RK Rad
5. Lazar Jelisavčić
Position: Lock
YOB: 2006.
Club: BRK Crvena Zvezda
4. Aleksa Pumpalović
Position: Lock
YOB: 2006.
Club: BRK Crvena Zvezda
3. Dušan Jovanović
Position: Prop
YOB: 2005.
Club: RK Rad
2. Petar Arnautović
Position: Hooker
YOB: 2006.
Club: RK Rad
1. Ognjen Siljanovski
Position: Prop
YOB: 2006.
Club: RK Rad
