GERMAN YOUTH RUGBY LEAGUE FESTIVAL GAME 3

Germany overcame a younger Serbian side in the play-off for third spot in the German Youth Rugby League Festival in Heidelberg on Sunday. Jonas Hoffman scored a hat-trick of tries as the Serb team was not able to withstand the pressure applied by the Dave Raybould-coached Germans.

The RFL development officer, who conducted a camp with the 24-strong German squad before the festival, will have been pleased with the finished product. Ali Bokes’s 50^th minute try, after Dusan Vasilijevic had brought Serbia back into the contest with his 45^th minute touch down, clinched the match for the Germans.

Hoffman, who was getting his first taste of rugby league having been enthralled by Germany's match against the Scots, was ebullient: “This was great opportunity for me, because I play rugby union and this was first time that I played rugby league in my life - and I love it. It’s so fast and physical sport.”

Dorcol’s Nikola Vlahovic was proud of the effort shown by his Serbian comrades: “We left our hearts on the field. In the first game against Russia we only showed about 30% of our capability. This game against Germany was very competitive for us and showed what we can do, because most of our squad is lot younger than all other teams in tournament.”

GERMANY U16
Selinger, Rambow, Frohmuller, Hoffman L., Polte, Klein, Dovrbacher, Marin, Bokes, Greipel, Heiss, Van Skywark, Spics. Subs Mirell, Jansen, Gunay, Kratz, Scherrer, Strang

SERBIA U16
Igor Petrovski, Andrej Mora, Stefan Jovanovic, Marko Pavkovic, Dusan Vasilijevic, Luka Lazarevic, Vasilije Jovanovic, Lazar Micic, Nikola Stosic, Nikola Vlahovic, Stefan Zecevic, Masan Milatovic, Uros Radulovic. Subs: Nemanja Pesic, Vojin Miletic, Aleksandar Karimanovic, Luka Milatovic, Dusan Vasilijevic, Miodrag Tomic