Specmagic keeps Bulls' Currie Cup hopes alive

A hat-trick from winger Rosko Specman kept the Vodacom Blue Bulls Currie Cup hopes alive as they emerged with a 25-17 win over a game Phakisa Pumas side in Nelspruit on Friday night.

Both sides desperately needed to win the fixture after losing their opening two games, and a loss would have made it extremely difficult for either side to make the playoffs, but in the end the Bulls grit and determination won them the game in a night where the result could have gone either way.

Specman scored twice in the first half and a telling try at a crucial time in the second half to secure the victory for his side, but Pumas flyhalf Kobus Marais could have taken a bonus point for his team with a penalty kick after the whistle which was pushed wide.

But while the Bulls heaved a sigh of relief, they will be the first to admit that the game went their way in the crucial moments and that they could easily have been on the wrong side of the result.

Still, there was more than a glimpse of “Specmagic” on the night as the dreadlocked winger put his former teammates to the sword and enjoyed the space and ball he was given to make sure his side stays alive in the competition after early losses to the Cheetahs and Western Province in their opening two games.

It was the Pumas though that opened the scoring with one of the tries of the season, a turnover on their own line when it looked like the Bulls would score, only to see the ball travel through 12 pairs of hands to eventually find winger Etienne Taljaard steaming down the near touchline to score the opening try.

But it was moments later that Specman made his mark, a big hit from Johnny Kotze seemed to deflect the ball from Chris Smit off his shoulder and Specman needed no invitation to pounce and intercept, running the ball in under the posts to level the scores.

Specman added a second 10 minutes later to put the Bulls into the lead, but on halftime the boot of Smit made it 12-10 at the break in the visitors favour.

The second half started off badly for the Bulls as Willie Engelbrecht charged down a poor clearance kick from Marnitz Boshoff to collect and score and put the home side into the lead again.

A penalty from replacement flyhalf Manie Libbok brought the Bulls within two points and it was Libbok’s boot in the 69th minute that took the team into the lead with 10 minutes to go.

And then in the crucial moment, the Bulls were on attack and Dylan Sage’s keen eye saw space behind the defence, grubbering the ball behind and into the in-goal area for Specman to swoop in and touch down inches from the dead-ball line to put the game beyond doubt.

The Pumas produced some exceptional scrums in the last few minutes to put them on the Bulls tryline but eventually time ran out and the team weren’t able to secure a bonus point, while the Bulls lived another day.

SCORERS:

Vodacom Blue Bulls – tries: Rosko Specman (3). Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff, Manie Libbok. Penalties: Libbok (2).

Phakisa Pumas – tries: Etienne Taljaard, Willie Engelbrecht. Conversions: Chris Smit (2). Penalty: Smit.