Porthen explains why he wants to emulate 'mesmerising' Wilco Louw
SPOTLIGHT: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has always been a huge admirer of Zachary Porthen.
When he handed him his debut against Japan on last year’s end-of-year tour, Erasmus admitted to having kept tabs on the tight head prop during his Junior Bok years.
This year, leading up to the Nations Championship opener against England, the Bok coach said Porthen was on the level of Wilco Louw.
It’s clear Erasmus sees Porthen as the long-term successor to Louw, and, based on how he has performed early in his career, that belief appears well-founded.
The youngster, however, is not getting carried away by the comparisons.
Instead, he insists he still has plenty to learn and explained why Louw remains the standard he is striving to reach.
“Wilco is someone I honestly look up to,” Porthen told Rugby365.
“I think he’s such a powerhouse, strong athlete; the way he scrums is just mesmerising.
“I don’t think I’m quite there yet, to be completely honest with you, but there are aspects in Wilco’s game that I do want to achieve.”
Porthen will share the changing room with Louw next season after Louw secured his move to the Stormers.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take [to get to Louw’s level], but I want to be able to scrum the way he does,” he added.
“I want to be able to take contact the way he does and do these things with a mature sense of rugby IQ and all that.
“I’m hoping I get there in due time, but yeah, we’ll see how it goes.”
The 22-year-old has featured in some big games for the Boks, and this weekend will be no different when he comes off the bench against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Porthen believes scrumming against Boan Venter, Johan Grobbelaar, and Thomas du Toit throughout the week has left him well prepared for the challenge Los Pumas will pose.
“I’ve started getting used to Jan [-Hendrik Wessels] a bit, and I feel very comfortable with him.
“I think throughout this week, we have connected in terms of scrummaging. I feel safe next to him on his right-hand side.
“Also, we scrum against some phenomenal players; I get to scrum against Boen Venter at training, so that sets me up for the game against Argentina, which I’m very excited for.”
The story continues below…
The former Junior Bok captain is often praised for his improved scrummaging; however, he has proven to be a mobile prop who carries well, has pace to burn and soft hands.
He admitted he also puts in extra hours in other departments of his game to stay competitive in the Bok environment.
“Playing union rugby is one thing; it’s obviously a massive step up to International rugby.
“So, you’re always trying to better every aspect of your game.
“What I do is that before every training session, I will put my head on one or two things and say: today, I want to get better at this and this and that.
“I try and be consistent with trying to improve with every single training session.”
The Los Pumas clash will bring up Porthen’s sixth Test cap.
When he enters the fray in Buenos Aires, his primary task will be to impose himself and be the enforcer at scrum time.
Register your interest to receive priority updates on RWC27 ticket releases. Don't miss out, stay in the loop!
