UNDER-16 INTERNATIONAL

The second game of the two-match under-16 test series began where game one left off, with two committed teams struggling gamely against one another. Sunnier conditions prevailed in Heidelberg and it was the visitors who began the more energised, mounting sustained pressure on the German line with some robust ball carries from the physical Serbian pack.

Diminutive German hooker Pirmin Stöhr was conspicuous in the middle of the German line but Serbia took a deserving 13^th minute lead through dangerous fullback Marko Miolčić's unconverted try. This turned out to be the only score in the first half.

The home side stuttered in the second period, squandering a number of positions through untidy handling, but prop Paul Rettwitz, brought into the team, brought his side level with a strong run, converted by 14-year-old Kai Jansen.

With 25-minutes left Serbia wrested back the territorial advantage but, just as in the first match, Germany showed great heart to defend their own goal-line. With just four-minutes remaining Germany took full advantage of one of their few attacks, with Thomas Genthner scoring on the last tackle. The jubilant celebrations at the final whistle amply demonstrated the sheer emotion that both sides had invested into a fantastically contested series.

Germany Under-16 team manager Michael Reinhard said “I expected the worst after Serbia’s lead, but I was very proud of the team’s reaction, to fight back and register a really great win.”

GERMANY U16
Thomas Genthner, Henrik Leimert, Kete Dominguez, Christopher Korn, Lukas Schmitt, Kai Jansen, Max Reinhard, Felix Martel, Pirmin Stöhr, Marcel Danzer, Florian Rambow, Moritz Mayer, Clemens Höhr. Subs: Felix Krause, Jules Rippmann, Michael Heinl, Paul Rettwitz, Konstantin Rippmann

SERBIA U16
Marko Miolčić, Vladan Marković, Nemanja Marković, Stefan Stanković, Vojin Miletić, Miloš Vilotić, Milenko Božić, Andrej Mora, Igor Jovičić, Miloš Gajić, Jovan Nedić, Igor Petrovski, Dragan Rančić. Subs: Rajko Trifunović, ĐorÄ‘e Stošić, Nikola Vlahović, Milan ÄŒobanović