In the battle of leaders, the country’s champion lost. What is happening in Russian rugby?
Alexander Fedyakov August 23, 2023, 11:15 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Lokomotiv-Penza already lost in the third round, Krasny Yar broke through to first place.
The Russian Rugby Championship 2023/2024 is gradually gaining momentum. Three rounds have already been played, in which many brilliant events have happened. “Championship” chose the most interesting of matches.
Thriller at the Vanguard
In their first match, last season’s runner-up Yenisei-STM hosted Dzerzhinsky Khimik at their home ground in Krasnoyarsk. As expected, the guests, led by the former coach of the Yenisei-STM reserve team Yuri Krasnobaev, substitutes for the Heavy Machine, not only imposed a fight, but kept the intrigue going for almost an hour.
Despite discipline problems, Khimik, even in the minority, caught Yenisei-STM on tries, moreover, skidding after interceptions. Later, the head coach of Krasnoyarsk, Alexander Pervukhin, said that the game of the leaders did not go well. However, competent substitutions worked, and Yenisei-STM started the season with an extra victory with a score of 47:17.
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Unstoppable Maximo Shevtsov
The 22-year-old from Zelenograd is playing this season for Strela Kazan, who are now in third place. Shevtsov’s role is the three-quarter-and-15 winger. Players in these positions are often marked by points scored, but Shevtsov scored seven tries in just two games (Strela and Yenisei-STM, which ranks fourth and also has 10 points, had two meetings in the championship), and both times Moscow teams in which he played before. In the match with Dynamo, Shevtsov scored three tries, but against Slava he scored poker. With 35 points, he surpasses his South African teammate Jacobus Marais, who had 33 points purely from shots on goal (15 conversions and 1 free kick).
“Glory” and personnel problems
The Moscow club did not add points in three games and closes the standings, remaining in ninth place. During the short offseason, several players left Glory: someone moved to other teams, someone decided to end their career. Despite the fact that several newcomers were announced, mainly from South Africa, Sergey Lysko plays for the most part as pupils of the sports school, who must also play in the youth championship. So far, the Slavs lack experience and a place to rest between games, but there is still a whole season ahead, and frankly, despite the results of the games, it is quite interesting to watch young Muscovites on the field. .
Krasny Yar — Lokomotiv
Photo: yar-rugby.ru
“Krasny Yar” in the lead
As Yenisei-STM enters the season, Krasnoyarsk’s opposite bank neighbors settled on the top of the standings, after picking up three wins from three games. If the victories over Dynamo and Metallurg were more than expected, then everyone was waiting for meetings with the reigning champion Lokomotiv.
At the home stadium, in a very difficult match, Igor Nikolaychuk’s wards managed a 14:10 victory, but the attempt by Valery Morozov, who was returning from the English Premier League, was not quite in the spirit of the first linemen. , and became a real decoration of the 3rd round.
Meeting of the finalists – through the round
The exit from the Cup of Russia – 2023 “Yenisei-STM” will allow the “Heavy Machine” to focus on the championship, where already in the fifth round there will be a chance to take revenge for the defeat in the final of last season. Novokuznetsk Metallurg got off to a pretty good start and despite now being in the middle of the standings, they can also surprise during the season. After three rounds, Krasny Yar takes the first place, but we can say that this national championship draw will bring many more surprises.
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