Zach Porthen is already rewriting the prop's playbook
Less than a year after making his Springbok debut at Wembley, Zach Porthen has evolved into one of South African rugby’s brightest front-row prospects.
The 22-year-old will earn his third Test cap from the bench against England on Saturday, a selection that underlines just how quickly he has climbed the Springbok ranks.
When Porthen made his international debut against Japan last October, he became the youngest prop to represent the Springboks in the professional era.
Thrown into one of rugby’s most demanding environments, he was surrounded by seasoned campaigners such as Thomas du Toit, Ox Nche and Gerhard Steenekamp as he took his first tentative steps in the green and gold.
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Fast forward nine months and the rookie is no longer simply trying to survive.
Instead, he has become a player trusted by the Springbok coaching staff to provide impact against one of the world’s top teams.
Porthen believes the transformation has come from learning every day alongside some of the finest front-rowers in world rugby.
“In this environment, you’re with the best of the best,” Porthen said.
“So every day you’re picking their brains, you’re learning this, you’re learning that, and you obviously get better.
“Just being in this environment makes you a better rugby player.”
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The biggest gains have come both technically and mentally.
“I’d like to say I feel more competent because of the small things you learn from a Thomas du Toit and a Wilco Louw,” he said.
“From a technical aspect, definitely I’ve grown. But also mentally, that mental strength that comes with training with the Springboks.
“It’s intense. It’s not the same as your union. It’s a different calibre, so I think I’ve learned quite a bit.”
Those lessons are forged in brutal Springbok live scrum sessions, where every training session can feel tougher than Test rugby itself.
“I think it’s almost easy to say a scrum session is tougher than what you’ll expect in the game,” Porthen admitted.
“Ox, Gerhard, Boan and all those guys are absolute beasts.
“Every time you scrum against them, you learn something different because each one is different.
“It’s not just the technical aspect. Being switched on every single time is important. Going to that dark place is something I’ve learned a lot in this environment.”
His progress has not gone unnoticed by the senior players.
Fellow prop Ox Nche believes the youngster has developed significantly since those nervous first appearances in green and gold.
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“Yeah, he has actually improved quite a lot,” Nche said.
“I think everyone knows our scrum sessions are live. I think that has given him a lot of confidence, working in a full eight-versus-eight pack. It’s guys that actually give you confidence to do what you can do and play to your strengths.
“I think his game has grown immensely.”
For Nche, Porthen’s greatest strength is his appetite to learn.
“He’s always willing to learn and he listens,” Nche said.
“He comes and asks questions on how he can improve, and when we have a scrum session the following day, he starts applying it.
“I think that’s the reason why he’s grown so much in this position. He just wants to learn and take in as much experience as he possibly can. It’s amazing to watch.”
