Rookie survived debut, but wary of Daan's farm

WEMBLEY, LONDON: Rookie prop Zachary Porthen might have survived his first outing for the Springboks, but he is yet to be invited to scrum doctor Daan Human’s farm.

The 21-year-old former SA Under-20 captain made his Bok debut in the victory over Japan at Wembley on Saturday.

He got his call-up to the Springbok squad having only played in five senior matches for the Stormers, four off the bench and one starting.

But the youngster, surrounded by some heavyweights in the scrum department like Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Franco Mostert, and RG Snyman, for his first baptism of fire in a Bok jersey, passed with flying colours.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus briefly mentioned the young tighthead and said he was happy with his first outing.

He repaid Erasmus’ faith and boldness to select him with a solid debut and held his own in the scrum. Overall, he performed well in general play and showed he’s ready for Test rugby.

After the match, Porthen fronted up to reporters and looked like a seasoned professional with the manner in which he fielded the questions.

He said in the build-up to the game, he didn’t have much to savor the magnitude of the moment, but after the game, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

“This week went by so quickly for me, so after the game was the first moment I got to take it all in, and I actually got emotional,” the friendly giant reflected.

“When I walked out into the stadium, I actually felt so insignificant, because the stadium is so big.

“But as the game went on, you realise what this all means as players. I am pretty proud that I got the first game under my belt.”

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Porthen says his main aim is to stay in the Bok set-up for as long as possible and do whatever is expected of him, even if it means a visit to Daan’s farm.

“Five years down the line, I hope to still be in the setup. I’ve gotten here now, but I think the tough thing is staying here.

“My aim is just to become a better player and scrummager.

“That’s all I’ve got in the back of my mind. The rest will be up to coaches, coach Rassie and Daan. They will make the decisions for me.

“I’m just keeping my head down and working,” he commented, and said coach Daan has not invited him yet, adding, “No, not yet. I’m sure he will take me eventually if I am still part of the setup. But I am not looking forward to that.

Reflecting on his first Test match, the rookie said: “It was like a dream come true, to be on the same field as all those guys. I could only dream about it, and now it’s happening. It’s crazy.

“The rugby was quick, which was nice. What gave me confidence was the guys around me. They prepped me well and they kept reminding me throughout the week ‘Zac, don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

“If something goes wrong, it’s a team thing; we’ve got your back.

“That gave me the confidence, it was great. I never thought it would happen so quickly for me. I’ve had a different plan for myself.

“Become more established at the Stormers, and then this would come over the course of four or five years. And now we are here.

“I thought I did okay. A lot of work-ons for myself. I am going back to the drawing board. I’ve already spoken to coach Daan, and he says there are a couple of things we need to get into.

“The level of rugby is completely different, but it’s nice, and hopefully I will be better next time, because I know what to expect.

“I am going to take it one day at a time, one step at a time, one training session at a time.

“This is definitely what I have wanted to do my whole life. This is my highlight. I am grateful to be here, and I hope I can stay here. That is the next step.”