Zachary Porthen will wade straight into the Test rugby surf this weekend and there’s no lifeguard on duty.
The 21-year-old former Junior Springbok captain is set to become the youngest prop of the professional era to debut for South Africa when theSpringboksface Japan at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has named a largely settled side for the November International opener, sticking with 16 players from the team that edged Argentina 29–27 to clinch the Rugby Championship title.
Zach Porthen is set for his Springbok debut this weekend and Rassie is keen to see how he performs.
🗣️ "He'll be nervous but I think physically he'll be up for it and we'll help him to be mentally ready."#SSRugbypic.twitter.com/NqtzIUai83
“He proved at Vodacom URC level and with the Junior Springboks what he can do,” said Erasmus.
“We’re looking forward to seeing what he offers in his first Test. At this level, you have to sink or swim.”
Porthen joins Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx in a heavyweight front row, with Lood de Jager and RG Snyman locking the scrum. Siya Kolisi leads a loose trio alongside Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese.
Kurt-Lee Arendse, De Jager, and Mostert return after time out, while Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar bolster the bench.
The backline sees Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback, Arendse and Ethan Hooker on the wings, and Cheslin Kolbe shifting to fullback.
Erasmus highlighted the value of experience within the squad:
“It’s great to have players back. You can feel their hunger. This is the best team we could field against a quality Japan outfit who’ll want to make a strong statement.”
With six Japan-based Boks in the mix, Erasmus expects a tactical arm wrestle.
“Their experience in that league helps, but Japan will also know them well,” he said.
“They’re well-coached by Eddie Jones and won’t hold back.”
For Porthen, it’s a baptism in Bok green, a plunge into the roaring scrum where the brave either sinks or rise like foam.
Springbok assistant coach Jerry Flannery says the Boks are bracing for a fired-up Japanese side eager to repeat history when the teams clash at Wembley on Saturday, the opening Test of South Africa’s gruelling five-week European tour.
Japan beat South Africa 34–32 in their first match of pool play at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Brighton in England. At the time it was described as the “greatest Rugby World Cup shock ever”.
@EddieJonesRugby has declared his current squad “better than the 2015 side” that stunned the rugby world in the ‘Miracle of Brighton’, when Japan famously toppled the Boks at the World Cup.https://t.co/AlSUYliIBo via @RugbyWorldCup
With stops in Paris, Turin, Dublin, and Cardiff to follow, the Boks are kicking off what Flannery likened to a “mini–World Cup”, facing fresh opposition each week.
“Japan showed resilience in the first half despite picking up yellow cards, and they showed how well they can defend against one of the best attacking teams,” said Flannery.
“Australia scored six tries against us in the first game in the Rugby Championship, so we are aware that Japan are not just a good attacking side; they can defend well too, and in the last quarter, they came back into the game. They would be disappointed that they didn’t win.”
Japan, smarting from a 19-15 defeat to the Wallabies, will arrive in London hungry and dangerous, and Flannery knows it.
“I’m expecting that Eddie [Jones] will be building up his team all week and they’ll believe that they can win and rewrite history by beating the Boks at Wembley,” he said.
“We need to ensure that we are as well prepared as we can be.”
The vastly experienced Jones, now 65-years old, has already turned up the heat, boldly declaring his current squad “better than the 2015 side” that stunned the rugby world in the ‘Miracle of Brighton’, when Japan famously toppled the Boks at the World Cup.
Flannery, the Bok defence guru, believes that controlling the team’s rhythm after the Rugby Championship remains a key priority, keeping the game plan tight and composed rather than loose and frantic.
And while the road ahead is long, the Irishman sees opportunity in the challenge.
“It’s a great challenge for us,” Flannery said.
“For this tour, we have five different opponents from week to week. That’s how the World Cup will work as well, with a short turnaround between matches, so your ability to stay mentally fresh and keep bringing energy all the time will be good for us.”
As the Boks prepare to charge out under the Wembley lights, they know the Brave Blossoms won’t be mere spectators.
The men from the Land of the Rising Sun are champing at the bit, ready to test South Africa’s mettle in a match that promises sparks, steel, and perhaps another chapter in rugby folklore.
Springbokcoach Rassie Erasmus jetted off to London on Sunday, bracing for a five-week European tour that promises to test every sinew and synapse of the world champions.
The full squad will regroup in the UK on Monday morning, ready to tackle a sequence of five Test matches that reads like a gauntlet of rugby heavyweights.
The Bokskick off their campaign against Japan at Wembley Stadium on 1 November, before locking horns with France in Paris, Italy in Turin, Ireland in Dublin, and Wales in Cardiff. Each encounter will present a fresh challenge in vastly different conditions.
Erasmus, ever the strategist, knows that touring Europe in November is no spring picnic. It’s more like a muddy, cold-weather arm wrestle, where slick southern flair must survive in the trenches.
“We are excited about the tour and to measure ourselves against some of the best teams in the world,” he said before departure.
“A lot of hard work has been put in behind the scenes since the Rugby Championship, and hopefully this will set us in good standing to build on our season so far.”
The Bok mentor is acutely aware of the curveballs awaiting his squad. This includes the heavy air, damp pitches, and bruising opposition. But he believes his players are well-prepared for the north’s wintry grind.
“The conditions are vastly different in the UK and Europe to South Africa this time of the year,” Erasmus noted.
“But fortunately, most of the players have been exposed to those conditions either during their United Rugby Championship tours or by playing for overseas clubs.
“The time zone is also very similar to South Africa, which means we can slot back into full Test mode immediately from our first training session on Monday.”
If the schedule looks daunting on paper, Erasmus embraces it like a seasoned flanker facing down a charging number eight.
He knows the mental battle will be just as fierce as the physical one. It’s been 10 years since Japan caused one of the biggests upsets in the rugby world when the Brave Blossoms beat the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup in Brighton in England in 2015.
Coaches, Eddie Jones (Japan) and Rassie Erasmus (South Africa), will be going head-to-head at Wembley Stadium. Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
“Japan have been improving steadily over the last few years, and they defeated us a few years ago, so we have no doubt they will come out guns blazing next Saturday and throw everything at us,” he said.
France and Ireland, both top-four sides, loom as potential tour-defining tests.
“The last time we faced France in Paris was in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, and that result will psyche them up going into the match against them,” said Erasmus.
“They are also ranked fourth in the world currently, and Ireland third, and we all know how tough matches at the Aviva Stadium are against them.”
He also expects spirited resistance from Italy and Wales. These two teams have plenty to prove on home turf.
“Italy put up a brave fight against us in Pretoria, and that will give them confidence going into our match in Turin. Wales will also be up for the challenge after recovering from a tough few years earlier this season, so we need to be ready mentally and physically each week to get the desired results.”
“It won’t be easy,” he concluded, “but we have a quality group of players, and we know what they are capable of doing when we stick to our structures and play to our potential on the day.”
Lythe Pillay was only 12 years old when Wayde van Niekerk stunned the world at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 setting a new record 400m of 43.03. Now, the boy who once sat wide-eyed in front of the TV is sprinting alongside his idol, and winning medals with him.
South Africa’s 4x400m relay team of Pillay, Udeme Okon, Zakithi Nene and Van Niekerk snatched bronze at theWorld Athletics Championshipsin Tokyo, clocking 2:57.83 in pouring rain.
But for Lythe, the medal was more than bronze. It was a childhood dream realised.
“It was a huge honour winning a medal with my childhood hero Wayde van Niekerk in the 4x400m relay with Team SA at the World Champ,” Lythe revealed to Modern Athlete with the impressive bronze medal dangling from his neck at the VIP tent at the finish of a Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K on Heritage Day.
Just a couple of days after returning from the global showpiece in Japan, the 22-year-old from Benoni was at the sold-out event which drew 14,400 participants to support his girlfriend who participated as one of the Boxer Athletic Club elite athlete contingent.
“I enjoy all sports, and it was awesome just coming out supporting my girlfriend and seeing a sport from a different crowd and a different perspective.
“I could just admire the work other athletes put in themselves. I can’t run far to save my life. So I marvel at all the athletes that turned out today. It’s a great vibe seeing the runners sharing their experiences with each other. I am just glad to be part of it all.”
But Pillay’s story circles back to Van Niekerk. He still remembers watching in awe as a grade 1 schoolboy when the South African stunned the world in Rio.
“It’s crazy because I always said I’m here because of Wayde. I saw the Olympics live from home. When I saw the line-up I thought the Americans will take it as per usual.
“And all of a sudden I see this guy from Bloemfontein, South Africa breaking the World 400m record. Seeing that made me believe that perhaps I can do it too.”
“South Africa now has more sub-45 runners than ever before. So there has been massive growth. The word I like to use is inflation.
“I’m honoured to be part of that movement and to be able to get a medal with Wayde.
“We have great athletes now and it’s also a great feeling. I could be mistaken but Team SA had the youngest team in the field and it gives us hope and inspires us to know that once Wayde retires, we will still be in a good space.”
Now, with seniors like Van Niekerk alongside emerging stars such as Zakithi Nene and Gardeo Isaacs, Pillay believes the 400m is in safe hands.
“I have now transitioned from a junior into senior ranks. We now have a very nice steam of senior and junior athletes. We are in a very healthy place and I am a firm believer that a lot of us are here because of what Wayde did.”
For Pillay, Van Niekerk is more than a teammate. He is proof that South African sprinters can take on the world and win.
