Rugby
Specman’s impact on Wellington
Rosko Specman is a truly world-class sevens player – a fact he proved once again this past weekend at Round 3 of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Wellington, New Zealand. Carrying on from where he left off on home soil in Cape Town in December, the South African speed demon once again played an integral part in the Blitzboks reaching the final two rounds in a row. His powerful performance has earned him the DHL Impact Player Award of the Tournament.
It’s key to enjoy yourself and use the space when playing sevens.
Rosko Specman
Sensational stats
Specman’s pace and natural try scoring ability showed us once again that he’ll be one to watch throughout the series. Over the two-day Tournament, he tallied up 17 tackles, 7 breaks, 27 carries and 6 offloads on the way to South Africa’s second Cup final appearance. Though the Blitzboks were beaten by hosts New Zealand in a last-minute thriller, the team now sits atop the series with 54 points, two points ahead of Fiji.
“It was a positive performance overall in the tournament and we know our game plan is on the right track,” said Specman.
In the final, the dreadlocked winger scored a crucial try to give South Africa a 12-0 lead in the first half. But Joe Webber’s last minute try robbed the Blitzboks of a win. Despite the loss, the team takes plenty of positives into Sydney, none more so than Specman’s personal performance.
“When you get to make line breaks it feels amazing,” said Specman. “I always look for that one percent advantage when I get the ball. I like to make space and I treasure having it.
I always look for that one per cent advantage when I get the ball.
Rosko Specman
“It’s key to enjoy yourself and use the space when playing sevens,” he added. “It’s not 15-man rugby. There are a lot of 15s guys playing so you must just know what your strong points are compared to theirs.”
South Africa started off strongly on day 1 with wins over Scotland and Russia but their winning streak was ended by eventual winners New Zealand. The second-place pool finish drew them against Australia in the Cup quarter-final, who they beat 26-14 to set up a huge clash with Fiji. Specman shone as South Africa produced a fine display to win 31-0, scoring one try and slotting two conversions.
DHL Performance Tracker
The top seven players on the DHL Performance Tracker represented seven different teams in Round 3, with the likes of England’s Dan Bibby, Samoa’s Tila Mealoi and USA’s Zack Test once again recording some big numbers over the weekend.
Overall, Dan Bibby leads the series with 126 points, followed by Zack Test with 114. Check out the Series leaderboard above to see who’s chasing these two men for the inaugural DHL Impact Player honors.
HSBC Sydney Sevens
The players don’t have to travel far for Round 4 of the HSBC Sevens World Series, which kicks off this weekend in Sydney. Be sure to follow the conversation on the Twittersphere with the hashtag #DHLImpactPlayer.
Or check out the Rugby stream right here on DHL InMotion. And follow us throughout the Series @DHLRugby and on Facebook.
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