Rosko to step it up in Paris

THE Blitzboks will be smiling all the way to Paris now that it has been confirmed that their brilliant playmaker Rosko Specman is back in the team for the Paris Sevens tournament in the French capital next weekend.

Specman, who has thrilled spectators and confounded opponents with his stepping, missed the tournaments in Hong Kong and Singapore due to a hamstring injury.

But now he is fully recovered, and that is good news for coach Neil Powell and his Blitzboks, who hold a commanding 25-point lead over second-placed Fiji with two tournaments of the 2016/17 season left.

Despite their series lead, captain Philip Snyman said the team will be focused only on a strong performance in their opening game against Scotland.

“We have not started any of the eight tournaments this year looking at the log and will not do so for Paris either,” Snyman said. “Our mind set and attitude have been a simple one and we will stick to it, as it delivered the results. We have worked hard, prepared well and all want to go out there to represent our country and make ourselves and our supporters proud.

“Boring as it may sound, the focus will be nowhere else, but our opening game against Scotland. We have been successful when we have found early momentum and that will be our objective again.”

Specman and newcomer Dewald Human come in for Stedman Gans and Zain Davids respectively from the team that played in Singapore last month. Gans and Davids have been named in the Junior Springbok team that will travel to Georgia later this month to play in World Rugby’s Under-20 World Championship.

Specman was involved in all four tournament victories in Dubai, Wellington, Sydney and Las Vegas, where he was named Player of the Final.