Rassie makes bold Porthen claim ahead of England Test
SPOTLIGHT: Zachary Porthen will be the next Wilco Louw.
And before you get ready to argue the point, this statement comes straight from Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.
Erasmus believes Porthen is the long-term successor to Louw, and Saturday’s Nations Championship opener against England at Ellis Park offers the young tighthead another opportunity to prove why.
While Louw is one of the notable absentees from the matchday 23, Erasmus made it clear the decision has nothing to do with form. Instead, the Bok coach used the occasion to underline just how highly he rates the 22-year-old Porthen, who has rapidly emerged as one of South African rugby’s brightest front-row prospects.
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Louw’s omission comes after a difficult few months off the field. The experienced prop, who lost his father in April, was unwell during the Bulls’ United Rugby Championship last game in the final and is in the process of relocating his family to Cape Town after signing for the Stormers.
“We just felt Wilco needed one week to settle down a little bit,” Erasmus explained.
“He has had a tough time in his personal life with illness, and a family bereavement. His body has also taken some hammering over the last couple of weeks.”
That has opened the door for Porthen to provide cover off the bench behind Thomas du Toit, with Erasmus convinced the youngster is already operating at an elite level in one crucial area.
“As far as Zach goes, what he has done for us in the scrum sessions against Ox [Nche], Gerhard [Steenekamp] and Ntuthuko Mchunu has been very impressive. I think he’s on the level of Wilco.”
It is high praise for a player who only made his Test debut against Japan on last year’s end-of-year tour, but whose development has accelerated under the watchful eye of scrum coach Daan Human.
Erasmus believes Porthen has benefited enormously from working alongside experienced internationals.
“We think Zach is really, really a good player and especially when it comes to scrummaging. He’s learned a lot from Wilco and Thomas du Toit.”
Training against Nché and Steenekamp every week has only sharpened his game.
“Zach is scrumming against those guys and he’s doing a really great job. We feel he can do a good job for us, especially at altitude.”
With Du Toit, Vincent Koch, Louw, Frans Malherbe and Nché all now in their 30s, the Springboks are carefully preparing the next generation of front-rowers.
Porthen appears to be at the front of that queue.
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