One last push for world-beating Blitzboks in London
Playmaker Rosko Specman believes South Africa have more than enough motivation to put a cherry on top of their Sevens campaign.
Can’t catch us anymore: Rosko Specman. Photo: Don MacKinnon/AFP.
The London Sevens will provide the Blitzboks with a final opportunity this season to showcase their skills and to play together as a team.
That’s why regular playmaker Rosko Specman believes there’s no reason for them not to deliver a good final result.
South Africa face Kenya, Wales, and the USA in Pool A of the tournament.
Specman, a real talisman for the newly crowned World Series champions, appreciates the fact that this will be the last opportunity for this current squad to play together.
“We have been training since September last year and have been in each other’s company since then. We have established a wonderful bond,” said Specman.
“We really are a band of brothers.”
South Africa clinched the series when they won their fifth tournament in Paris last weekend and will officially be crowned champions on Sunday.
It’s another motivation for the team to give it one more push, Specman believes.
“The pressure to win the series is gone, but we are still under pressure from ourselves to deliver a performance to be proud out,” he said.
“We will also be out to celebrate our successes this year by expressing ourselves and play with joy.”
Their position this weekend is in stark contrast to the corresponding time last year.
In 2016, the Blitzboks came to Twickenham still within the grasp of the overall series title, but Fiji gained enough points to retain the series trophy.
South Africa made the final but suffered an agonising loss when Scotland scored the winning points after the final buzzer.
“That was very disappointing yes, we felt terrible. But that was also the start of us making finals, and we learned from that experience. So although we lost that one, we learned valuable lessons that helped us winning five finals since,” said Specman.
The Grahamstown-raised player has often swung the momentum of tight matches towards South Africa with his attacking prowess and was named Player of the Final in Las Vegas.
“Those accolades are great, but it remains a team effort. I will still want to go out and make the tournament’s Dream Team, but my responsibilities within our structures will come first,” said Specman, who’s scored 17 tries this season.
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