Griquas unveil Spec Magic
THE WINDHOEK Draught Griquas’ latest player acquisitions include signing on the exciting former Rugby Sevens and Springbok player Rosco Specman as well as Mihlali Stamper ahead of their match against the Free State Cheetahs in the Toyota Challenge on Friday.
At Thursday morning’s virtual presser regarding Friday (tomorrow) afternoon’s match in Bloemfontein, Pieter Bergh, the Griquas head coach was, from the onset, compelled to answer to the now-confirmed rumours of the signing of Specman by his team.
“Yes. We are naturally very happy to have signed on a player of the calibre of Rosco Specman. He will start with us on 1 November. We signed him on and gave him a year’s contract. He will stay with us for this season until the end of October next year. I think over the past several years we’ve lost quality players to the Cheetahs,” the Griqua coach said.
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To boot, Bergh rattled off the names of, at least, seven players who have joined the Cheetahs from Griquas over the years among them Sibabalo Qoma, Mzwanele Zito and Munier Hartzenberg.
Bergh revealed that Griquas were flattered by the fact that Specman had elected to play for Griquas much against the wishes of the Cheetahs camp who had dearly wanted to hold on to Specman’s services.
“It’s a feather in our cap that a player of his calibre chose to come to us after the Cheetahs fought hard to keep him. It is also pleasing to us that Rosco feels he can still improve his rugby here by us and become even better at his game here.
“Rosco is an exciting player. People pay money to come to see him play. He is a Sevens and Springbok player and he is sought after by many other teams. He could have stayed in the Free State but instead chose to come to us. For that we are very glad,” Berghe said.
From Bergh’s utterings, it is evident that Specman is a massive acquisition for the Diamond City team and that he will be a valuable addition to their backline.
Bergh confirmed this: “It is not for nothing that he is named ‘Spec Magic’. We definitely need his speed and agility at the back. We have long been looking for that X-factor in our backline.”
Griquas also unveiled Mihlali Stamper who recently graduated from the Varsity rugby ranks to become a confirmed Kwaste team member. Stamper was, in the last season, among the University of Pretoria's varsity champions team for 2021. Stamper plays as a blindside flanker and says that it is his favourite position even though he also is known as an eighth man in places.
The latest acquisitions notwithstanding, Bergh has roped in Stamper who will join a much changed Griquas team as a forward for Friday afternoon’s Toyota Challenge game.
Bergh offered that Johan Retief was off, ill with a stomach bug. He is the only player still out after the whole team had succumbed to a city wide stomach bug infestation. Bergh said luckily most of his squad had recovered in time for this game.
For the Griquas mentor, the purpose of the Challenge matches and other friendlies remains the same, which is to give all new signings the space to adapt to the Griquas style of play as well as to prepare the squad for the domestic Currie Cup season which lies ahead.
The match starts at 2pm at the Bloemfontein Rugby Stadium.
