PRETORIA - An opportunity of a lifetime awaits the Blitzboks’ latest recruit Selvyn Davids ahead of the Hong Kong leg of the Sevens World Series this weekend.
Davids’ window of opportunity is similar to that of the Springbok Sevens side who will also be looking to win their maiden Hong Kong title, that will see them take a giant leap towards being crowned world champions for only the second time.
The 23-year-old will make his debut for the national side in the Asian metropolis and has come into the team as a replacement for the injured Rosko Specman.
Davids, who hails from Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape, which is not far from Specman’s home town, Grahamstown, is relishing the opportunity of bringing something new and different to the team but doesn’t want to be a carbon copy of Specman.
“I am not going to try to be Rosko,” said Davids.
“Rosko told me I should go and be Selvyn Davids and not someone else. This helped a lot as I am going to express myself and contribute to the team effort.”
But Davids would do well to pick up certain attributes as to how Specman has played, particularly this season, as he has left opposition teams for dead with his side-step and speed out of the blocks.
Specman, pictured, was a catalyst in the Blitzboks’ success in winning the Dubai, Wellington, Sydney and Las Vegas tournaments.
While Davids has only featured in one Sevens tournament - in Dubai for the SA Academy side - he could just be that unknown element of surprise that works for the team and brings home the Hong Kong title that has long eluded them.
“Sevens was new to me, but I learned a lot from that tournament and since then working with the squad in Stellenbosch,” Davids said.
“I am pretty excited to use this opportunity, but I’m not looking too far ahead. I would love to get a Sevens contract in future, but this weekend is all about contributing to the team.
"I want to show what I can do, but not to the detriment of the team. Our culture is that the team comes first, so that is where my focus will be.”
Davids will know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for his fledgling career and it will also be a rare opportunity for Neil Powell’s men to edge ever so closer to that World Series title that has eluded the side for eight years.