Bok boss explains drafting debutant Zachary Porthen straight into starting XV

By Doug Mattushek
29th October 2025

Zachary Porthen will become the youngest prop to debut for the Springboks in the professional era when he runs onto the field in London on Saturday.

The 21-year-old is a product of Wynberg Boys' High School and already enjoyed a sparkling career. The tighthead prop captained SA Schools in 2022 and 2023, featured in the Junior Boks in 2024 and has been called up to the Stormers squad this season.

But more importantly, Porthen is part of SA Rugby's Elite Player Development Programme. He was earmarked for greatness from a teenager and has received world-class coaching behind the scenes.

Another young player who benefited from the programme is Canan Moodie, who made his debut for the Boks at just 19 and has never looked back.

As such, Erasmus has full confidence in Porthen rising to the occasion against the Japanese front row in London this Saturday. And he'll have some help with the immovable Ox Nche being on the other side of double World Cup-winning hooker Malcom Marx.

"There were two ways to go about it, with Thomas du Toit not available for this game because of the Premiership's rulings and rest periods, so Thomas is only available next week," Erasmus explained.

"We've got Zach in, and you look at the guys on the bench, they scrum together in Gerhard [Steenekamp], Wilco [Louw] and Grobbies [Johan Grobbelaar] - they are guys who are used to one another. Then it gives Zach a chance next to really experienced players in Malcolm and Ox.

"Sometimes with getting a young guy in, they are fearless and just enjoy the moment, and if you put them on the bench, it can build up nerves.

"We'll see on Saturday if it's the right call or the wrong call. It's definitely a Japanese team that scrummed well against Australia and got 100% of their ball and only gave one or two penalties away when it was Australia's feed.

"It definitely won't be an easy game for him. He's one of the few guys that we've had in the group this year that hasn't had time to adapt to all of our plays, the way we train, how we maul, defend and all those kinds of things.

"So, a hell of a lot of information, and I guess you know you don't want to find that out in the last 20 minutes of the game when you have to win.

"We thought that starting him with that solid lock pairing behind him, and then obviously having that great security on the bench with guys that scrummed together in the past."

"He will be nervous, but that's why there's a team around him for him to have the best chance at performing."