Rosko Specman says there will be mixed emotions as he heads into his final tournament with the Blitzboks before joining the Bulls, writes CRAIG LEWIS.
Specman will shift his focus to fifteens after this weekend’s Cape Town Sevens, with the 29-year-old set to head into pre-season Super Rugby training.
Specman, who has made over 130 appearances for the Blitzboks, was one of the standout performers once again last weekend as the Springbok Sevens finished in sixth place at the Dubai Sevens.
The speedster primarily fulfilled an impact role off the bench in Dubai, and reiterated his desire to make a meaningful contribution in any way possible before leaving his Blitzboks ‘family’.
‘Personally, it is going to be a bit of a sad one for me, but I’ll just try to take the positives out of it before having to say goodbye to the guys, who I’ve been with for a few years now.
‘My role from the bench is to come with energy, and to try to take the game to the next level. We’ve spoken about coming on in the second half and looking to exploit the gaps that might be there when the guys are tiring a bit.
‘I’ve learned a lot from the sevens in terms of my skills, and the small things that you don’t always pick up in the fifteen-man game,’ he added, ‘but I am excited for this new journey ahead with the Bulls.’
The Blitzboks have identified a need to improve their discipline and tackle execution, and Specman said it would be crucial for the team to go ‘back to basics’ in Cape Town.
‘We saw last weekend how competitive the games were. There are no easy matches, so it will be important for us to focus on doing all the small things a bit more accurately. We set the bar very high for ourselves, and Cape Town is obviously one of our most special tournaments.
‘In some ways, the result last weekend might take some of the expectation off us, and allow us just to go out there and enjoy ourselves. I know we will bounce back, I have faith in this team.’
Photo: Francois Nel/Getty Images
