The hosts Serbia have won the Shield final, but only after participating in a thrilling encounter with an Ireland team who, with a bit of their own luck, could have won this game.

Serbia gave early pressure and battered the Irish line, Smyth knocking on from a Marjanovic kick to give Serbia another 6 tackles. From the scrum, the ball was spread over to Bijorac and he outpaced Fields to put down in the corner for 4-0, with a brilliant conversion by Milutinovic increasing the score to 6-0 after 3 minutes

Ireland fought back and after a Serbian turnover and a penalty, Ireland sent the ball quickly across the line and Andew Smyth was able to find space to dive over in the corner after 8 minutes. Curran missed the conversion to leave the score 6-4

Ireland then took the lead when O’Neill broke on the right and sent Curran clear with a pass to the outside with Curran converting for 10-6 to Ireland

Serbia kicked the ball directly out from the kick off to give Ireland excellent field position and Cullen was just held up with three defenders clinging to him. Serbia survived this and drove forward, but lack of composure in attack saw a wild kick from Jakoljevic bounce into Arnold’s hand, but also into Irish defenders to end the set

Penalties by Ireland on successive sets took Serbia to 20 metres out, and came close through Smith and Bijorac to breaking the line, but a low pass by Marjanovic was just out of reach for Tomic and the chance was wasted

Both sides continued to make good yards, with only little mistakes costing each side points.

More Irish indiscipline gave Serbia a platform to attack from 10 metres out, with Smith finally breaking the Irish defence with a close range try to level things up at 10-10, with Milutinovic again hitting a long range conversion to put Serbia back in the lead 12-10 after 23 minutes

Both sides began to work to find space to run into and there was some great passing from Donnelly that nearly put Varga through, while Milutinovic made a long and looping run that nearly found a try, but neither side could find the right key to unlock the defence and the half ended at 12-10 to Serbia

The second half started with more of the same as both sides looked to overpower their opponents in the tackle, Ireland managing to get excellent field position after Varga charged down a kick from Marjanovic and they drove down to the Irish 10 metre line, but Donnelly’s kick just too heavy and the chance was lost

Serbia attacked again and Bijorac fashioned a try out of nothing when he kicked low and the subsequent bounces took the ball into his hands and he ran clear for a try under the posts for 16-10 after 39 minutes, with Milutinovic adding the extras for 18-10

Ireland bounced back and Andrew Smyth sped past the defence from a scrum to go over in the corner for a great try after 42 minutes for 18-14, with Curran kicking the conversion for 18-16

Curran then lit up the game with a stunning long range try of his own making, bringing the crowd to their feet and putting Ireland ahead 20-18 after 45 minutes, converting his own try for 22-18 to Ireland

A few Serbian errors started to creep in and successive penalties gave Ireland another chance to get more points on the board, with Goddard just being held up by desperate Serbian defence. From a subsequent scrum, Ireland drove it to the goal-line, only for Michael to be penalised for an infringement at the play the ball.

Serbia made the best of this penalty, forcing repeat sets from the Irish defence and finally capitalising when Milutinovic crashed over in the corner to level the scores at 22-22 after 54 minutes, and he gave Serbia the lead with another great conversion from far out for 24-22

Ireland worked to get back into the game and Andrew Smyth was very unlucky to knock on when a blocked kick rebounded into his direction

Serbia took advantage of their good fortune as Captain Milutinovic ran through a gap and powered over under the posts for 28-22 after 58 minutes, converting his own kick for 30-22

Ireland battled back and some heavy running took them to the line, with Curran kicking a penalty to reduce the deficit to 30-24 after 64 minutes after Serbia were penalised for holding down in the tackle

A kick off that went out on the full gave Ireland a chance to challenge the Serbian line, but their chance was lost when a loose Battishill pass went into the hands of a Serbian player

Serbia had the chance to finish Ireland off when Cullen was penalised for a late hit, but Milutinovic missed the penalty. They were rewarded from the drop out though as a passing movement to the right put Mihaljovic over in the corner for 34-24 after 69 minutes, Milutinovic kicking another long-range conversion for 36-24 to finish the match off