JOHANNESBURG – After a superb performance in the final, where he was named as the man of the match, Springbok Sevens star Rosko Specman was included in the Dream Team for the Las Vegas Sevens.
Your Dream Team for the men's #USA7s! Who would you have chosen? pic.twitter.com/IStIt22yfL
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) March 6, 2017
Specman was the catalyst of the Blitzboks’ 19-12 victory over Olympic champions Fiji in the absence of World Sevens Player of the Year Seabelo Senatla and stalwart Kwagga Smith, who are part of the Stormers and Lions Super Rugby squads respectively.
The speedster from Grahamstown scored five tries at the Sam Boyd Stadium to be joint-third on the try-scorers’ list, and produced an unbelievable solo touchdown in the final as he carved through and around the Fijian defence.
Yet despite the Blitzboks’ title triumph – their fourth of the season in five events – Specman was the only South African picked in the Dream Team for the tournament.
Even semi-finalists New Zealand have two players – DJ Forbes and Vilimoni Koroi – in the seven-man side, while losing finalists Fiji boasted playmaker supreme Jerry Tuwai and Mesulame Kunavula.
Lachie Anderson of Australia also made the cut as he was the leading try-scorer in Vegas with seven. The team is completed by American powerhouse Danny Barrett, who matched Specman with five touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Blitzboks have been drawn in Pool A for next weekend’s Vancouver Sevens alongside England, Kenya and Chile.
Vancouver Sevens Draw Pool A:
South Africa, England, Kenya, Chile. Pool B: Fiji, Argentina, Samoa, Wales. Pool C: USA, Australia, France, Japan. Pool D: New Zealand, Canada, Scotland, Russia.