Home Sport Rugby Blitzboks’ fighting spirit inspires Specman, Bulls

Blitzboks’ fighting spirit inspires Specman, Bulls

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“It just showed that we mustn’t give up, even when the chips are down. For four weeks we didn’t win one game but the margins were very small”

THEY were half a world apart and the Bulls looked a world away from winning a game but the Blitzboks played a massive hand in inspiring Rosko Specman to his hat-trick heroics that propelled the Bulls over the Highlanders on Saturday.

A youngish SA Sevens team took the Los Angeles World Sevens Series title two weekends ago by beating Fiji in a final that was characterised by fighting spirit and a never-say-die attitude.

They came back from a 19-0 deficit to win with a Sako Matata golden try in extra-time.

Watching everything unfold from Pretoria was Specman, whose Bulls teammates were reeling from four-straight losses since the start of Super Rugby.

Specman brought the house down at Loftus with a trio of terrific second-half tries that ended that Bulls four-match winless run with a 38-13 victory.

“I must say, they gave me hope,” said Specman.

“I even messaged them to say that. They were out and they came back. I just realised that the Bulls were in the same position and if we just stick to the basics, things would go our way.

“And on Saturday night it went our way. As you could see, their coach Neil (Powell) said they must just be calm. The more you knock, the door is gonna open.

“It just showed that we mustn’t give up, even when the chips are down. For four weeks we didn’t win one game but the margins were very small.

“It was just one mistake at the end (against the Blues) and they won with a penalty.

“We have the guys and we have the pack now and the coach believes in us.”

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